Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Transfer Gossip: Liverpool charge for RB Leipzig ace forces Todd Boehly into drastic Chelsea action; two senior Man Utd stars tipped for axe

Dominik Szoboszlai and Christopher Nkunku

Liverpool are pushing hard to sign a Bundesliga star and have forced Chelsea into big changes over their transfer plan, two experienced Manchester United players are under threat due to Erik ten Hag, while Wednesday’s Transfer Gossip claims a Chelsea man is stalling on a new contract.

LIVERPOOL, CHELSEA BATTLE HOTS UP

Liverpool have made their intention of landing Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig known and this means Chelsea will have to alter their proposal for his signing, according to a report.

Chelsea appeared to be the frontrunners for Nkunku after he had a medical with them in late September. That came after Chelsea told Leipzig they would pay his full release clause next summer.

The forward is apparently available for €60million (£52.8m) at the end of the season. Although, German football expert Raphael Honigstein suggests the fee could rise if Nkunku meets certain performances-based conditions this term.

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly is hoping to get his club’s business done early to prevent a scramble next summer. This comes after Barcelona beat him to the signings of Jules Kounde and Raphinha earlier this year.

While Chelsea originally put themselves in a good position to land Nkunku, the deal is now under threat.

Premier League rivals Liverpool joined the race for the Frenchman on Sunday, as per The Sun. Their report claims Liverpool sent a scout to watch Nkunku during Leipzig’s second Champions League clash against Celtic in the group stage.

The Sun have backed Liverpool to match whatever sum Chelsea offer to pay for him, giving the 24-year-old the choice of which English club to join.

Chelsea do have the upper hand slightly due to Nkunku already having a medical with them. But Liverpool should not be written off due to the pull of working with Jurgen Klopp and the club’s illustrious history under his management.

The Daily Mirror provide their information on where Nkunku may end up. They claim Boehly and Chelsea have changed their stance on him and are now plotting a move for January.

Leipzig ideally want to keep the goalscorer until the end of the season. This will help their hunt for trophies and give them time to find his successor in attack.

But it seems Chelsea are exploring the possibility of landing Nkunku early. This new approach will largely be down to rival interest emerging, such as from Liverpool.

Due to Leipzig’s stance, Chelsea will probably have to pay extra to get Nkunku this winter. But Boehly will be happy to do this given his huge ambitions at Stamford Bridge.

All eyes are now on Liverpool. We will find out how far they are willing to go to sign the eight-time France international in the coming weeks. If he is one of Klopp’s prime targets, then the Reds may bring their transfer plans forward too and battle Chelsea for him in January.

TWO MAN UTD STARS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURES

An Erik ten Hag decision could result in Manchester United losing two senior players at the end of the season.

According to The Guardian, Ten Hag is focusing on performances when deciding whether Marcus Rashford and David de Gea should be given new contracts.

Both stars have deals which expire at the end of June. Man Utd do have the option to extend their terms by 12 months, but Ten Hag doesn’t want to rush into doing this.

“In this moment we only think about performing,” he said. “We have a lot of games to go, so I don’t want to get that interfered by talks.”

This strategy makes sense to some degree as it means Rashford and De Gea will have to perform well to ensure their futures remain at Old Trafford.

Erik-ten-Hag-Marcus-Rashford September 2022

But there is also some serious risk involved. If Rashford and De Gea fail to impress, then they could opt to run down their respective contracts.

Under the Bosman ruling, they will then be eligible to sort out pre-contract agreements with European teams from January 1.

The pair leaving for nothing would see Man Utd lose out on big money. transfermarkt put Rashford’s value at £54m, while De Gea’s is £13.5m. This means the Red Devils could end up wasting £67.5m in total potential sales.

The pair are not short of suitors, either. Rashford is reportedly on Arsenal’s radar. The Gunners could make a move for him if he becomes available for a cut-price fee.

De Gea, meanwhile, might become a target for former club Atletico Madrid. This brings up the possibility of a goalkeeper swap as Man Utd have interest in landing Jan Oblak.

While Ten Hag’s contract decision makes sense, it appears he is playing a dangerous game that could end up costing his club big money.

CHELSEA PLAYER HOPING FOR PAY RISE

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is stalling on a new contract as he looks for a wage increase, according to a report.

Jorginho is in the final year of his Blues deal. And given the fact he has been linked with most of Italy’s top sides, Chelsea could probably do with extending it.

As per the Evening Standard, Chelsea have recently put a contract offer on the table. It would see him earn pretty much the same wage at Stamford Bridge, £120,000 a week.

While Jorginho would ideally like to stay at Chelsea, the fresh terms have not met his expectations. He apparently wants £150k per week. This kind of deal would see him fall in line with Cesar Azpilicueta, who recently penned a deal worth that amount.

Jorginho wants more money to demonstrate his importance to the squad. He has huge experience and regularly features in midfield during the biggest games.

Jorginho of Chelsea

Chelsea now have to decide whether to match the 30-year-old’s demands or keep negotiating.

The report provides an update on Jorginho’s midfield team-mate N’Golo Kante, too. It claims he wants to stay in west London, like Jorginho.

Kante is also out of contract come the end of the campaign. Despite his injury problems, he will not be short of interested clubs.

Chelsea still have plenty to discuss with Kante. They originally gave him the chance to sign a two-year deal with the option of a third year.

But Kante and his agent are gunning for a longer agreement, which could be his last as a player. Negotiations will continue over the coming months as Chelsea look to finalise the player’s future.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are reportedly hoping to beat Man Utd and Chelsea to the signing of a Serie A star.