We chased Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze for months, and when that deal went dead, we spent £30m on Sadio Mane – so as exciting as this rumour is – we’re taking it with a pinch of salt.
France Football Magazine (cited in the Express) have today claimed that ourselves, along with Juventus, Manchester United and Arsenal all want Julian Draxler – Wolfsburg’s uber-talented playmaker.
The 22-year-old is currently excelling at Euro 2016 with Germany, and if anything has usurped Gotze – who became no more than a substitute for Bayern Munich last season.
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The report suggests Wolfsburg won’t sell for less than £50m, which would absolutely smash our £35m transfer record spent on Andy Carroll back in 2011.
With Christian Benteke on the way out for £31m, and a raft of squad players also likely to leave, this kind of fee isn’t impossible, but we’re not convinced we’d spend the money on someone who plays directly in Coutinho’s position – cutting in from the left wing.
What’s more, the other clubs credited with an interest, bar United, have Champions League football to offer, although our rivals have showed an irritating ability to attract top talent even without the lure of Europe’s top club competition.
Draxler is a new, exciting name linked to Liverpool – but we’re not sure how a French publication has an exclusive on a transfer story between a German and three English clubs…
A no go, this one.