Liverpool have taken an interest in SC Freiburg forward Kevin Schade but the Bundesliga speedster now looks set to join Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League nemesis Brentford during the January transfer window, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Even without injured talisman Ivan Toney, Brentford made light work of a Liverpool backline containing World Cup finalist Ibrahima Konate and the £75 million Virgil van Dijk during Monday’s exhilarating 3-1 win in West London.
The speed and movement of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa gave Jurgen Klopp’s defence more headaches than a hungover father at a 10-year-old’s birthday party, and the prospect of Schade arriving threatens to add yet more strength in depth to a Bees attack that is clearly a lot more than Toney and Toney alone.
Brentford, The Times say, are confident about sealing a potential January deal for the rapid-fire Schade. Thomas Frank’s side saw a £17 million bid rejected over the summer. What could end up being a club-record signing is edging closer, however; TMW claiming that Schade has already said his goodbyes to Bundesliga high-flyers Freiburg.
Brentford look set to sign Kevin Schade despite Liverpool interest
This comes shortly after Schade opted to stay put at Freiburg despite interest from a Liverpool side now just two points ahead of Brentford despite playing a game more.
“I’m young. I want to gain experience and face competition. SC is the right club for that,” Schade said at the time. “I feel comfortable here and in good hands.”
One of the fastest footballers in the whole of the Bundesliga, Germany U21 international Schade can play anywhere across the frontline. He also scored five times during an excellent breakthrough season in 2021/22.
“Kevin is a highly talented boy who has developed very positively,” Freiburg board member Jochen Saier says of Schade. “He brings speed and depth to our game and has also made steps forward in the technical and tactical area in the last few months.
“Now, it will be a matter of working intensively and persistently together to further exploit this potential. We are very much looking forward to this collaboration and to a really exciting journey together.”
Before turning to Schade, Brentford tried and failed to lure Mykhaylo Mudryk to West London. The much-coveted Ukrainian has gone from strength to strength since then, and now appears to have his heart set on joining Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders Arsenal.
“When there was that transfer saga in the summer, with those rumours and everything else…” Mudryk reflects. “I spoke directly to the coaches of Nice, Bayer Leverkusen and Brentford.
“When the transfer didn’t work out, I was upset. But now we see that God’s plan is better than my dreams.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, have already signed Cody Gakpo but look likely to miss out on another top target – Benfica’s World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez – to Chelsea.
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