Man Utd hunt midfield ‘genius’ as Amrabat alternative, but Liverpool battle looms amid Klopp interest

Manchester United have struck up an interest in Bayer Leverkusen star Exequiel Palacios to solve their midfield problems, though a trusted source has revealed Liverpool also want to sign him.

Man Utd’s midfield issues have been widely talked about in the first few weeks of the 2023-24 season. Manager Erik ten Hag has tried to operate with a midfield trio of Casemiro, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes. However, Mount and Fernandes have failed to give Casemiro enough help by tracking back, leaving the Brazilian exposed at times.

Ten Hag is known to want another defensive-minded midfielder who can help Casemiro while also providing a new dynamic to the Man Utd squad. The Red Devils are resultantly interested in landing Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.

But that move has yet to reach completion, and Man Utd need to have alternatives on their radar in case Amrabat ends up staying in Italy. This is where Palacios comes in.

He is a 24-year-old midfielder who has won 25 caps for the Argentina national team, while also being part of the squad which won the 2022 World Cup. Palacios has been on Leverkusen’s books since January 2020 and has so far made 89 appearances for the German club, registering eight goals.

The Athletic have provided a report looking at the different midfielders Man Utd may try to sign before the summer transfer window ends on Friday, and Palacios features.

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The River Plate academy graduate receives glowing praise, as he is labelled a ‘defensive genius’. This is because of his ability to hound opposition attackers and pressure them relentlessly until he wins the ball back, while he is also fantastic at intercepting passes.

Palacios is similar to Amrabat in terms of his passing, as he likes to play safe passes in order to retain possession and allow his more creative team-mates to flourish.

Man Utd battling Liverpool for Bundesliga star

These traits show why Man Utd are eyeing Palacios as an alternative to Amrabat. If the latter is unable to be signed, then Palacios represents a very similar transfer option.

However, it might not be simple for Man Utd to take the Bundesliga star to Old Trafford. The Athletic add that Jurgen Klopp is also hopeful of signing Palacios for Liverpool.

After selling Fabinho and Jordan Henderson earlier this summer, Liverpool ended up landing Wataru Endo from Stuttgart as a defensive midfield replacement. That came after the Reds were beaten to the signings of both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia by Chelsea.

But Endo is 30 years old, which means he is not a long-term solution for Klopp. As such, the German is eyeing Palacios as Endo’s eventual midfield successor.

Leverkusen managing director of sport, Simon Rolfes, has come under pressure recently amid the growing interest in Palacios. Rolfes has responded by stating that the battle-hardened star will not be going anywhere this summer.

As such, it will take a massive offer from either Man Utd or Liverpool to bring Palacios to England during the current transfer window. If this does not happen, then a move could take place in summer 2024. At that point, Palacios will have entered the final 12 months of his Leverkusen contract.

Meanwhile, Man Utd have reportedly made contact over the surprise signing of a Tottenham player.