Liverpool rivals round-up: Kylian Mbappé is reportedly open to a move to Chelsea, while Tottenham is on the verge of signing a player previously linked with Liverpool.
The start of the new Premier League season is fast approaching, but Liverpool still has plenty of work to do this summer.
The Reds have just one pre-season game remaining before they kick things off against Chelsea in just over a week, but Wednesday’s 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich demonstrated that Jürgen Klopp still needs to make more signings.
He isn’t alone in that though, with some of Liverpool’s rivals also not looking quite ready yet for the start of the 2023/24 campaign, although it seems moves could be afoot.
Ahead of that meeting at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea has been busy once again in the transfer market, and if reports in Spain are to be believed, they could be about to pull off a major signing.
Meanwhile, Tottenham looks to be closing in on a player Liverpool was reportedly interested in, and could limit the options further in one of the Reds’ problem areas.
Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the other big sides in the Premier League and around Europe to take a look at the news going on at the other clubs.
Tottenham closes in on Micky van de Ven
Tottenham is on the verge of signing Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven, according to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedullà.
Van de Ven was previously linked with a move to Liverpool, with the player even previously admitting it was a ‘dream’ of his to play at Anfield (as per the ECHO). But This Is Anfield’s David Lynch reported last month that the Reds had dropped their interest in the 22-year-old.
Hi
Instead, the Netherlands U21 international looks set to move to North London, with Spurs said to be closing in on a $55m (£43m/€50m) deal. Liverpool.com says: Although Van de Ven was linked with Liverpool, it never seemed concrete enough to suggest he might be destined for Anfield. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho’s unexpected departures have also meant the Reds’ focus has perhaps been turned away from finding a new center-back, and when/if it does shift back there, there’ll be one less left-footed option available.
Kylian Mbappé makes Chelsea decision
Kylian Mbappé has told Chelsea he would be open to joining the club this summer, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
There is a catch though. The PSG star reportedly wants to join on a one-year deal in order to facilitate a free transfer to Real Madrid next summer.
Liverpool.com says: This saga just gets weirder and weirder every day. Mbappé’s relationship with PSG has clearly reached breaking point, and his departure from the French capital seems inevitable, but would Chelsea really be a viable option?
The Blues are a club in transition after last season’s disastrous campaign, and signing might well disrupt that. If he does well and gets Chelsea back up the table, there would be the impossible task of replacing him the following summer, and if he fails, we know what tends to happen to managers at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are a club in transition after last season’s disastrous campaign, and signing might well disrupt that. If he does well and gets Chelsea back up the table, there would be the impossible task of replacing him the following summer, and if he fails, we know what tends to happen to managers at Stamford Bridge.
And while they have splashed out on signings again, Chelsea surely wouldn’t be able to stretch far enough for a deal for the French superstar. Mbappé needs to leave PSG, but this just doesn’t make sense.
