Liverpool signing to be 'unlocked' soon as Arsenal face January disaster

30 Sept 2026 17:32 BST 2 min read

Andoni Iraola, Mikel Arteta, Liverpool — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Liverpool have emerged as "one of the strong favourites" to sign Brentford winger Kevin Schade, who is also being courted by Arsenal.

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The Germany international's development since joining the Bees from Freiburg in 2023 has been very impressive, with Schade showing himself to be a constant thorn in the side of Premier League defences.

While he may not be the most productive attacker - 25 goals and nine assists in 119 appearances is nothing to write home about - he is a real nuisance and a constant source of danger out on the left.

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With a strike against Leeds and a brace against Bournemouth, Schade is already on three Premier League goals for the season and looks well on course to better his tally of eight from last term.

Whether he will actually see out the season in West London is a different question, however. Schade has been on the radar of top clubs for years, and interest in acquiring his services has skyrocketed in recent months.

Liverpool plot January move

Last week, reports claimed that Arsenal and Liverpool are among the many clubs vying for his signature in 2027, while Brentford want to tie him down to a new and improved contract.

The Bees are already in talks with Schade over fresh terms, but there is no guarantee that he will put pen to paper. Schade is out of contract in 2028, which means that Brentford may have no choice but to sell him next year.

Indeed, TEAMtalk claims that the 24-year-old's future could be "unlocked" within the next few weeks, once it becomes clear whether or not he is willing to consider signing an extension.

Brentford would actively look to move Schade on for a "healthy profit" should they fail to find common ground with him, and a transfer as early as January could be on the cards, although Keith Andrews would surely prefer to keep hold of his star winger until the summer.

At present, Liverpool appear to be in pole position for his signing - despite the wealth of left-wing options already at their disposal. While Schade can play on the right if need be, he hasn't done so regularly since his time at Freiburg and is at his most effective on the opposite flank.

That said, Reds manager Andoni Iraola prefers versatile wide men, and he has not been afraid to experiment with his current options on both wings in a bid to find the magic formula for success.

Arsenal remain firmly in the race to sign Schade, but Liverpool want to make a splash in January with new sporting director Julian Ward now in charge of recruitment. This could spell bad news for the Gunners, who are traditionally conservative in the mid-season window.