According to French publication Le10 Sport (h/t Daily Mail), Liverpool are set to go head to head against arch-rivals Manchester United for LOSC Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
A rising star at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the Frenchman has made 30 appearances so far this season. His performances have seen him capture the attention of Newcastle United and Real Madrid as well.
The Magpies had got in touch with the player with regards to a move last January. Soumare, however, turned down the opportunity citing his desire to play for a team higher up the table.
Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of Soumare and held tentative talks over a move for the France under-21 international last summer. The player, however, wanted to see out the season in France. (h/t Daily Star)
The midfield is an area that could do with young blood. Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum will join James Milner in the ’30 plus’ category this year. With Adam Lallana set to leave, Liverpool could do with a revamp in the midfield.
A powerfully built athlete, Soumare will add a much-needed dynamism to the midfield, an attribute sorely lacking in the absence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. A technically gifted footballer, Soumare is a giant at 6’2″. His ability to play as a box-to-box midfielder will give Jurgen Klopp more options.
Valued at £50million, his contract at Lille runs until 2022. According to L’Equipe (h/t Daily Mail), it was confirmed by Lille manager Christoph Galatier that there is tension between the player and the club regarding the future.
With the coronavirus pandemic affecting club finances, it remains to be seen if Liverpool are willing to sanction such an amount. All recruitment related activities remain suspended at Melwood until the situation normalizes. (h/t Daily Mail)
Soumare is young and could prove to be a mainstay in the Reds midfield for the next decade. The 21-year-old has made 69 appearances for Lille since moving from PSG in 2017. Les Dogues looked on course to earn a Champions League spot, only for the season in France to be cancelled.
What effect this news will have on the future of Soumare remains to be seen.
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