Exclusive: Liverpool ‘in the race’ for 21-y/o Bundesliga ‘jewel’; depends on Bellingham poker

Posted Sunday, April 02, 2023 by Caughtoffside.com

Despite reports of Manchester United and Chelsea having taken the lead in the race for Manu Kone's signature this summer, it seems that Liverpool are still very much involved in the process.

The extent of the Merseysiders' involvement, however, does appear to be dependent on how their pursuit of Jude Bellingham fares, as Christian Falk has noted.

“Manu Kone has a contract until 2025 with an option until 2026. That being said, Gladbach sees no chance of the player staying at the moment. They would say €50m would be brilliant for the player, €30m would be the beginning of the transfer poker,” the BILD journalist said in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.

“There's also Liverpool in the race, though that depends how things develop with the Bellingham poker.

“Kone is one of the jewels of the Bundesliga, one of the most interesting transfer options this summer, and he's very close to going to the Premier League. Gladbach are losing a lot of players and he will be one of them.”

The Borussia Dortmund ace will be the absolute top priority for the Reds, such is Jurgen Klopp's crystal clear admiration for one of Europe's most exciting young talents.

Still, able to play in the 6, 8 and 10 roles, Kone does stand out as a suitably versatile option in the middle of the park – one that would surely appeal to the German tactician when looking to rebuild his midfield.

The 55-year-old has already made clear his intention to oversee an overhaul, telling reporters ahead of the impending clash with Manchester City (via Empire of the Kop): “It's clear after a specific amount of time that you need to shuffle things and kind of start new.”

In that sense, at least two new midfielders will likely be brought in this summer; the quality and amount are dependent, potentially, on Champions League qualification.

If the Gladbach man finds himself on the market for an asking price ranging between £26.3-43.9m this summer, however, Liverpool could hardly go wrong financially in this situation.