Liverpool want a pair of German young’uns as Jorg Schmadtke targets the Bundesliga again, as Newcastle prepare a contract for their top midfield target.
‘GNAWING’ AT MUSIALA
Liverpool did quite the job on their midfield over the summer, signing Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, but the revamp is ongoing, according to Bild.
The man – or boy – tipped to be on the Reds’ radar is Jamal Musiala, who has shot to stardom over the last three years with Bayern Munich.
Signed from the Chelsea academy in 2019, Musiala has already played 133 games for the Bundesliga giants, with 32 goals and 25 assists to his name.
The 20-year-old has been on Jurgen Klopp’s wishlist ‘for a long time’ and the report claims the Reds’ interest presents a ‘difficult situation’ for Bayern as they look to extend the youngster’s contract beyond 2026.
Contract talks are currently ‘dormant’ with Musiala thought not to be best pleased with his reduced game time this term.
The Germany international has started just two of Bayern’s seven Bundesliga games so far this season, which is ‘becoming a problem’ after he was ‘promised that he will become the face of the club’s future’.
Musiala is ‘too polite to express his anger publicly’, though being dropped after scoring a ‘dream goal’ in the narrow Champions League win over Copenhagen ‘gnaws’ at him.
Discussions over a new deal are now ‘suspended for the next few months’ as the player and his representatives ‘wait and see how things develop’ at the Allianz Arena.
SCHMADTKE ATTACK
Reports at the time of the announcement of Jorg Schmadtke as Liverpool’s new Sporting Director suggested Klopp’s squad was about to be flooded with young talent from the Bundesliga.
It perhaps didn’t take the shrewdest of transfer moguls to identify Gravenberch and Szoboszlai as top players, though the latter has admittedly thrived in the Premier League to an extent few would have expected. Assan Ouedraogo is a relative unknown though.
The 17-year-old has broken into the Schalke first team this season, scoring on debut from centre-midfield and catching the eye of some top European clubs.
German journalist Florian Plettenberg is reporting that “Liverpool and especially Jurgen Klopp is monitoring the development of Assan Ouedraogo”.
The report adds: “The 17 y/o versatile midfielder from has a release clause in 2024. Clubs from abroad have to pay around €20m. Next to #LFC more clubs from England are interested: Everton & Brighton.”
KALV TO TOON
Kalvin Phillips made his second start of the season on Tuesday, for England in the 3-1 win over Italy, with his only Manchester City start coming in the League Cup defeat to Newcastle.
And it’s the Magpies who want to offer Phillips more game time – they’re readying an approach for the 27-year-old in January, according to The Northern Echo.
Newcastle signed Sandro Tonali from AC Milan for £52m in the summer but he’s generally operated more as a No.8 (and may not be playing for a while anyway), and Bruno Guimaraes would probably thrive in a similar box-to-box role.
They lack a defensive midfielder, and Eddie Howe is said to view Phillips as the ideal candidate for that role.
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