Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips claims that a deal for Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma could “easily backfire” on Liverpool.
Danjuma left Bournemouth to join the Yellow Submarine in the summer for a fee of around €25m and has gone on to contribute nine goals and three assists in 18 matches so far this campaign.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed last month that Danjuma is one player Liverpool are keeping their eye on in the January transfer window.
“I’m told that they are already working for next summer to look, as they always do,” Romano said on Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE YouTube channel. “No panic buys, but strategy.
“So, position by position, they are starting for next summer to have some players in this position – interesting players. I can take an example, I was mentioning this boy Danjuma from Villarreal, he’s doing great, a former Bournemouth player.
“For January, I think it’s impossible because Villarreal don’t want to sell him, but he’s one of the players to understand the kind of player they want.
“Maybe it’s not going to be easy next summer to sign him because many clubs are interested, but this is the kind of player Liverpool are following and watching for the future.
“They know about this situation, but I still know that players like Mo Salah, Firmino, and the others you mentioned are still fantastic players. It’s going to take some years before replacing them and so the process is already started, it will take some time.
“They signed Ibrahima Konate, the centre-back who is super interesting, so it’ll be step-by-step as they always do.”
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein also recently confirmed the Reds’ interest in Danjuma with the Netherlands international having a €75m (£65m) release clause in his contract in Spain.
🚨Arnaut Danjuma deal at Villarreal includes €75m release clause. Liverpool among clubs monitoring 24yo but happy at #Villarreal & under Emery so Jan move unlikely. #LFC also looking at centre-mid options – they & #MUFC keen on Tchouameni @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/R08gWevgFe
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 7, 2022
Despite a move this month being unlikely, former Sunderland striker Phillips has warned Liverpool to avoid spending so much on an unproven player at Premier League level.
“That’s too much, for me,” Phillips told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs. “£65m for a player who has only had two good seasons is an awful lot of money.
“Spending that sort of money can easily backfire, and I think we’ve seen that with the Jadon Sancho deal at Man United. Liverpool can certainly learn lessons from that deal – because it clearly hasn’t worked out yet.
“I’d be slightly concerned if I were to pay that sort of huge transfer fee. He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong. If you could get him for around £45m then that would be more like it, but £65m is just too much.
“There are better players out there for that price tag.”
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