According to a Sky Germany journalist, Liverpool is interested in Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala, in addition to the ongoing pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
In May, Kylian Mbappé said of Liverpool, “We talked a little bit, but not too much.” The Frenchman had just agreed to a new two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, which stunned the Real Madrid faithful.
“I spoke to Liverpool because it’s my mother’s favorite club,” Mbappé continued (via The Telegraph). “My mother adores Liverpool. I’m not sure why; you’ll have to ask her.”
The forward also revealed that he spoke with the Reds five years ago while at AS Monaco. In the end, he joined PSG for £162 million, the second most expensive transfer in football history.
Having missed out on Mbappé not once but twice, Liverpool has now turned their attention to another of Europe’s most sought-after young talents.
The Reds are presently regarded as the favorites to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund (via Dharmesh Sheth/GiveMeSport) but they are competing with some of the continent’s best and wealthiest teams for a deal that will also break records.
As per The Athletic, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United are also in pursuit of the 19-year-old Englishman, who’s expected to cost in the region of £131m. For context, Jack Grealish is currently the most expensive player in Premier League history following his £100m move to City last summer.
But in addition to Bellingham, it emerged this week that Liverpool is keen on perhaps the second-best young player in the Bundesliga in Jamal Musiala. Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany reported (via Twitter) that the Reds are ‘interested’ in the German international ‘like any other top club in the world.
He did stress that no transfer is on the table right now, with Musiala happy at Bayern Munich and the club refusing to consider a sale. The former Chelsea youngster has made a magnificent start to the 2022/23 season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 12 appearances and averaging a direct goal contribution every 55 minutes.
His transfer value may, as a result, have climbed into the same echelon as the likes of Bellingham and Mbappé. Indeed, the CIES Football Observatory believes he’s worth up to €140m (£122.5m), and it’s hard to dispute that assessment.
The fact that Liverpool is expressing an interest even as they operate under a pragmatic, self-sustaining business model is as surprising as it is encouraging. One would imagine that the Reds would flatly rule themselves out of contention given the stratospheric sums involved.
But we shouldn’t ignore the fact that Liverpool has now been in the conversation for three youngsters with nine-figure valuations — Mbappé, Bellingham, and Musiala.
The assumption may be that Fenway Sports Group simply can’t finance these deals and that Liverpool is just an understandable admirer, and no more, of these elite talents. Indeed, to our knowledge, no actual bids have been tabled for any of the three bids mentioned.
There’s also the possibility, though, that FSG can, after years of frugality, bankroll such a transfer, but simply hasn’t up to this point. If the right player comes along and is available on a realistic salary (unlike £1.5m-per-week man Mbappé), then they may actually compete with the heavyweights.
At the very least, they want to be in the frame, because they understand the stakes. Win the race, and you most probably have a player who will offer you more than a decade of world-class service and easily repay the investment. Lose it, and you may live in regret as he brings home the biggest trophies for a domestic or continental rival.
Of course, all of this will be tested next year when the talk around Bellingham gives way to action. We’ll soon find out if FSG really does have the funds, and the inclination, to land a top-three talent.
