This is genuinely the weirdest transfer rumour we’ve heard this summer, and what’s more – it looks like it’s set to happen as well!
Alex Manninger, the 39-year-old Austrian who used to backup David Seaman at Arsenal in the late 1990s, is currently training with Liverpool – and looks set to sign a contract to become our third choice stopper behind Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius.
The news has been confirmed by James Pearce and Tony Barrett, so we know it’s legitimate.
Former Arsenal keeper Alex Manninger is training with Liverpool with a view to becoming 3rd choice behind Karius and Mignolet.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) July 11, 2016
Former Arsenal keeper Alex Manninger training with #LFC. Could be signed as 3rd choice back up to Mignolet/Karius
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) July 11, 2016
Manninger has been the reserve keeper at FC Augsburg for the past four seasons, after performing the same job for Juventus between 2008 and 2012. His other clubs include Udinese, Red Bull Salzburg, Fiorentina, Siena, Espanyol, Torino and Bologna, and now it appears he’ll head back to the Premier League – which he left 16 years ago!
The news is baffling, as we assumed Manninger was long retired – but it looks like he’ll replace Adam Bogdan as our third choice stopper!
Danny Ward and Ryan Fulton are leaving on loan, and the Hungarian is surplus to requirements, so Jurgen Klopp and his team have earmarked the veteran to come in as an emergency option should an injury crisis strike.
Bizarre.