The Reds are challenged by Arsenal in the pursuit of Club Brugge’s Belgian striker.
The Mirror is reporting that Liverpool have joined Arsenal in scouting Cyril Ngonge, currently of Club Brugge.
The 18-year-old is currently playing in Brugge’s under 21 side but his four goals in four UEFA Youth League games has clearly caught the eye.
Brugge are said to be ‘desperate’ when it comes to keeping Ngonge, who is described as ‘one of Belgium’s brightest young talents’.
That may set off some alarm bells for Liverpool fans, however, as Divock Origi was very much considered an elite Belgian talent when he moved to the club from Lille.
Origi had even starred at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but now looks certain to leave Anfield at some point in the near future, with any move for Ngonge surely speeding that process up.
A move for Ngonge would raise questions about two other Liverpool fowards, too: Daniel Sturridge and Rhian Brewster.
Sturridge is coming to the end of his contract and is very much on the fringes of the starting XI. He has managed some important goals this season but his poor performance against Red Star in midweek saw him substituted at halftime.
A younger forward as his backup may well suit Jurgen Klopp better – but what would that mean for Brewster?
The teenager was handed a new contract in the summer on the basis that he’d be part of the first-team squad once he returns from injury.
Signing a forward of the same age would look a little counter-productive if that were still the plan – although we saw with the Nabil Fekir saga that Liverpool may not want to put their eggs in a fragile basket.
We’ll have to wait and see, but Ngonge to Liverpool could be a move to keep an eye on.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
