Liverpool To Battle Everton For The Signature Of 19-year-old English Defender

Liverpool are reportedly interested in teenage Charlton Athletic defender Ezri Konsa, although they face competition from fellow city rivals Everton. The 19-year-old centre-back was a part of England Under 20s’ World Cup winning squad last summer and Charlton are all set to be raided for his services by both Liverpool and Everton, according to The Mirror.

The Addicks have done business with the two Merseyside neighbors recently, having traded Joe Gomez to Liverpool in 2015 and Ademola Lookman to Everton in January this year. There is also interest from Arsenal as the Gunners’ scouts were present in Konsa’s recent matches.

The teenager has been at Charlton since he was a schoolboy and they are keen to keep hold of him. However, the club knows that it is more than likely that he would leave soon, to a Premier League side.

Liverpool’s contacts with Charlton should be a nice ice-breaker to discuss a move for the teenager. They also have a trump card up their sleeves as Konsa’s colleague from the England Under 20s side Dominic Solanke is a recent addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad. The Newham-born starlet has made 48 appearances for Charlton Athletic, with whom he has a contract until 2020.

So, how serious is the interest from Anfield? The Reds have a long-standing history of being a great place for talented youngsters. Also, Jurgen Klopp’s penchant to develop youngsters should work in this case.

The same reports indicate that Liverpool are looking to send highly rated rookie winger Harry Wilson on loan to the Championship in January. The 20-year-old who is Wales’ youngster-ever capped player, couldn’t move in the summer because of an injury.

There are many such cases and time and again, we have seen young talent coming out of Anfield and making a name for themselves in club football. Konsa can count on this when he sits down to take notice of the interest in his services.

Thankfully, for Charlton, the increased interest from Premier League sides only validate their assessment of the player. Hopefully, he would soon sign for the Reds!