Liverpool and Manchester United are going head-to-head to sign a couple of midfielders this summer.
Well, that’s the speculation.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday that both Premier League outfits were keen on Aurelien Tchouameni of Monaco.
And if Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag winds up signing him, it could potentially help Liverpool sign another Red Devils target.
That’s because another player linked to both clubs is a certain Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona.
It has also been reported last week that De Jong – who has a £337 million release clause at Camp Nou – would favour a move to Liverpool, despite the fact he played under the soon-to-be United manager at Ajax for a number of years.
Hell, even Tchouameni is reported to want a move to Anfield, too.
But Manchester United, being one of the world’s biggest clubs, represent a genuine threat to the Reds.
Neither club is going to be signing both the French midfielder and De Jong this summer because, not only would it be extremely expensive, but impractical given their existing midfield options.
However, Tchouameni might be a more likely option for the Dutch manager and that may, in theory, leave Liverpool with a free run at bringing De Jong to Merseyside.
Even though De Jong doesn’t want to join United, that’s only a rumour for now.
The Ten Hag factor is a massive one and one that could potentially sway him toward Old Trafford, but if Tchouameni, a far more affordable option, is signed up first then it drastically reduces the likelyhood of De Jong coming – and that, in turn, enhances Liverpool’s chances of signing him.
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