Arsenal and Tottenham are now fighting to sign Julian Brandt from Borussia Dortmund.
According to Bild in Germany, Mikel Arteta and Antonio Conte are both keen to sign the £22.1m man as they aim to improve their attacking options this summer.
Interestingly, Brandt could have been playing for Liverpool, although Jürgen Klopp was actually told not to sign the Germany international.
What’s the story?
Well, that was according to The Athletic.
It is believed that Klopp wanted to sign Brandt instead of Mohamed Salah back in 2017 before the Egypt international eventually arrived at Anfield in a £34m deal from Roma.
The German was in favour of a deal for his fellow countryman, but Michael Edwards – the Director of Football who has since departed Liverpool – convinced Klopp that a move for Salah would be better.
How right he was.
Salah has since gone on to score 175 goals in 289 appearances for Liverpool, playing a crucial role as the Reds lifted the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Of course, that isn’t to say that Brandt is a bad player – it still speaks volumes that someone as accomplished as Klopp wanted him on Merseyside.
Brandt would be a wise signing by Arsenal or Tottenham
Despite Liverpool choosing Salah over him, Brandt would still be a shrewd pickup by Arteta or Conte.
The 26-year-old has been in superb form so far this season, scoring nine goals while providing five assists across all competitions, with four goals coming in his last four Bundesliga outings.
Furthermore, Brandt will only have 12 months remaining on his contract at the end of the campaign, so Arsenal or Tottenham could pick him up for a cut-price fee.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as anything could happen this summer.
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