Chelsea appear to be making an annoying habit this summer of putting themselves in the frame to sign players after they’ve been linked with Liverpool.
Football Insider reported last week that Mauricio Pochettino’s side are plotting to hijack the Reds’ proposed move for Romeo Lavia, and now they seem to be muscling in on another rumoured Anfield target.
According to The Daily Star, the Blues are planning a player-plus-cash deal to try and land Kylian Mbappe, just days after shock reports of a potential season-long loan switch to Merseyside had emerged.
The 24-year-old is being touted to leave Paris Saint-Germain due to an unwillingness to extent his contract beyond its June 2024 expiry. Real Madrid are also in the frame to sign him, but plan to wait until he becomes a free agent next summer.
Liverpool’s more optimistic fans may look at previous comments from Mbappe lauding the Reds, and his mother/agent being an ‘avid’ supporter of the club (The Daily Star), as indicators that he could potentially come to Anfield.
However, despite regularly being linked with the Merseysiders, it still seems incredibly unlikely that they’d commit to paying even a meagre portion of his staggering £1.19m weekly wage (Capology).
Jurgen Klopp may also be reluctant to take on a player who has a reputation for being a disruptive influence (GOAL), no matter how phenomenal his goal return of 279 across club and international level (Transfermarkt) might be.
Also, while Mbappe has long since proven that he’s an exceptionally gifted footballer who delivers on the biggest stage, Liverpool already boast a wealth of riches in attack who’ve frequently shown that they can combine to devastating effect.
The Reds should beat Chelsea to the signing of Lavia, judging by assertions from reliable reporters, but it seems like wishful thinking to expect them to do likewise for the PSG and France superstar.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones