Euro Paper Talk: Liverpool can sign ‘next Lionel Messi’ for astonishingly low fee as Fabrizio Romano details release clause; Postecoglou delight as Tottenham target available at half price
Liverpool have discovered they can sign a player dubbed as ‘the next Lionel Messi’ at an incredible price amid a crucial update from Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have learned that a La Liga star will not cost anywhere near as much as originally thought, while Manchester United are ‘great favourites’ to land a Serie A midfielder.
KLOPP COULD GET SUBLIME TALENT AT LIVERPOOL
Liverpool might take their summer transfer business to the next level by signing one of Europe’s top talents for far less than his actual value, according to reports.
The Reds have kicked off their midfield overhaul by capturing Alexis Mac Allister from Premier League rivals Brighton. He cost an initial £35million, though bonus clauses could result in the deal eventually costing £55m.
Liverpool are now eyeing up both Borussia Monchengladbach star Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram of Nice. talkSPORT presenter Tony Cascarino has suggested Kone is ‘going to Liverpool’ despite late hijack attempts from Aston Villa and Wolves, while centre-back Ibrahima Konate has spoken highly of fellow target Thuram.
According to a recent report from Turkish source Aksam, Liverpool are also in the frame to sign Fenerbahce wonderkid Arda Guler.
The 18-year-old is arguably one of the most exciting players to ever come out of Turkey. He has been labelled ‘the Turkish Messi’ thanks to his great dribbling ability, keen eye for a pass and his awareness to get between defensive lines and cause a host of problems.
Guler is versatile, just like Messi was at a young age. He likes to operate as a central attacking midfielder, playing just behind the striker. Alternatively, the teenager can play as a right winger if needed.
Guler, who has registered six goals and seven assists in 35 games this term, has a Fenerbahce contract which runs until June 2025. However, he might not be playing in his home country for that long.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has provided a big update on Guler’s future. On Twitter, Romano revealed that the attacker will be available for just €17.5m (£15m), despite being one of the most talked about youngsters in Europe.
Reds to benefit from intriguing release clause
This is because of a clause in Guler’s contract which states that if he plays 1500 minutes this season, he will be available for this price. As Guler reached this amount of playing time, he can now leave Fenerbahce for far less than he would be able to normally.
Romano ends his tweet by stating that ‘many top clubs [are] trying to convince the player’ to join them. Romano does not name Liverpool, but if Aksam’s report is to be believed, then Klopp will certainly have the Reds in the race.
Due to Guler’s versatility, he could improve Klopp’s options at both midfield and right wing. Given his huge potential and the low fee, this transfer represents a no-brainer for Liverpool.
However, Liverpool are far from being alone in admiring Guler. We will probably soon find out the names of those other big clubs which are trying to convince him to join them.
As such, Liverpool need to act fast and begin negotiations with Guler’s entourage so they can swiftly sort out personal terms.
TOTTENHAM-LINKED STAR ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CHEAP
Guler is not the only player who could head to England for a reduced amount this summer. Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is on Tottenham’s radar as they pursue a replacement for Hugo Lloris, has a release clause of €100m (£86m) but may actually be on the move for half price, or £43m. (Radio Marca)
Bayern will fight Man Utd for the capture of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani, who is worth £85.5m. (Florian Plettenberg)
Barcelona hope the fact they have offered Ilkay Gundogan a longer contract than Manchester City, plus the nicer weather in Spain, will convince him to leave the Etihad. (Sport)
Gundogan’s City team-mate Riyad Mahrez could link up with Karim Benzema at Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ittihad. (Romain Molina)
Nottingham Forest’s talks to sign former Wolves defender Romain Saiss – who currently plays for Besiktas – are gaining momentum. (Sabah)
MAN UTD IN POLE POSITION TO SIGN JUVENTUS ACE
Man Utd are the ‘great favourites’ to snare Adrien Rabiot from Juventus as they can offer him a much higher salary than Atletico Madrid. (AS).
There is no agreement between Borussia Dortmund and Ajax over the transfer of midfielder Edson Alvarez, despite the Mexican wanting to join Dortmund. (Sky Germany)
Liverpool flop Arthur Melo could surprisingly return to England this summer as Aston Villa and Newcastle are interested in him. (Tutto Juve)
Jorginho is happy at Arsenal and will not push for a reunion with former Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri at Lazio. (Fabrizio Romano)
Watford have drawn up a three-year contract offer to send to Manchester-born striker Rhys Healey. The 28-year-old will leave Toulouse when his contract expires this summer. (Tuttomercatoweb)
LEICESTER IDENTIFY TWO NEW MANAGERIAL CANDIDATES
Former Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and ex-Club Brugge manager Carl Hoefkens are both in the mix to take charge of Leicester. (Daily Mail and RTBF)
Liverpool have scheduled a new round of talks with Nice to try and get Khephren Thuram’s move over the line. Klopp’s side are concerned Nice might up their demands for the 22-year-old. (CaughtOffside)
Ligue 1 are worried about the finances their upcoming TV deal will get following Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami and Kylian Mbappe’s statement that he will not be extending his Paris Saint-Germain contract. (L’Equipe)
PSG are ‘fuming’ about how Mbappe has come out and declared that he will not be renewing his terms with the club. The news has put Real Madrid on ‘red alert’, although their initial plan was to sign him in 2024. (Ben Jacobs)
Tottenham’s hunt to sign centre-back Stefan de Vrij from Inter appears to be over after he reached an agreement to extend his contract with the Champions League finalists. (Fabrizio Romano)
