Liverpool eye Man Utd and Chelsea target to bolster midfield
FT Desk
- 11 Sept 2022 09:34 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool are set to swoop in ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea in order to sign a midfielder lighting up Dutch football, possibly as soon as January.
Ibrahim Sangare was previously one of the best kept secrets plying his trade outside of Europe's five major leagues, the Ivorian averaging more than three successful tackles per game for PSV Eindhoven last season as well as contributing eight goal-involvements from defensive midfield.
United and Chelsea were long credited with an interest, but instead signed Casemiro and Denis Zakaria respectively this summer as shorter-term solutions in his position.
The @eredivisie meets Sangaré 😤#PECPSV pic.twitter.com/a9KkpreQcB
— PSV (@PSV) October 19, 2020
Liverpool have made their worst start to a Premier League season under Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, not helped by injuries to midfielders Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The Reds sourced Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus to plug a gap, but reports from the Netherlands claim that they have now also thrown their hat into the ring for Sangare's services.
Liverpool scouts watched Sangare
"Scouts from the Champions League finalists were in the stands watching Sangare in the final weeks of the campaign," write Dutch football magazine Voetbal International.
"The Ivorian has had a very strong season, in which he was invariably one of the stars of the team, not only in domestic but also European matches for PSV."
PSV coach Ruud van Nistelrooy was aware of interest in some of his key performers, and Sangare and Cody Gakpo were both tied down to new contracts later in the summer, Sangare signing a five-year deal.
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Winger Gakpo has since spoken about how close he came to joining United this summer, but Sangare has remained tight-lipped about a move.
Sangare new deal makes him one of the best-paid players in the PSV squad, but it doesn't preclude a transfer for Liverpool. Ranked at €25 million by Football Transfers' sophisticated inhouse algorithm, the 24-year-old remains well within Liverpool's budget, even if the Eredivisie side held out for more.
