Liverpool progress over £30m ‘new Mbappe’ as Spurs, Newcastle target £15m Everton midfielder
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Liverpool have made contact with Palmeiras over the ‘new Mbappe’ who is nothing like the actual Mbappe, while Everton look to ‘bank a big profit’ on a former Man Utd star.
‘NEW MBAPPE’
Liverpool have been fatuously linked with the actual Kylian Mbappe for a while, but now his inevitable move to Real Madrid has been confirmed, the Reds have reportedly switched their attention to a ‘new Mbappe’; specifically Luis Guilherme.
The 18-year-old is yet to score or assist a goal in 32 (admittedly mainly brief) appearances for Palmeiras, but has caught the eye through his displays for the youth team, as well as for the Brazil U20s.
Manchester United and Chelsea have also supposedly been keeping tabs, but Liverpool have made the teenager their ‘top’ summer objective according to Football Insider, who claim they’re ready to ‘launch a major bid for him at the end of the season’.
In fact Liverpool are said to have considered a January swoop for Guilherme, but felt Palmeiras were more likely to allow a summer exit, and so the Premier League side have ‘compiled a huge scouting dossier’, which we hope includes more detail than the key metric which sees him compared with Mbappe.
Because Guilherme isn’t a striker, nor does he favour the left side like Mbappe, owing to the fact he’s left-footed, and operates predominantly as an attacking midfielder, occasionally coming from the right wing.
No, he’s the ‘new Mbappe’ because he ‘has been clocked at speeds upwards of 36km/h in his native Brazil, similar to the speed of Mbappe’.
Anyway, Liverpool have their reasons and a separate report from Nosso Palestra claims they have ‘held initial talks’ over a deal and ‘some progress’ has been made over his signing for around £30m.
GARNERING PROFIT
Only James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford have played more minutes than James Garner for Everton this season, with the Manchester United academy graduate proving to be a key cog in Sean Dyche’s midfield.
Signed for £15m from the Red Devils in September 2022, Garner played a bit-part role for the Toffees last season but has come to the fore this term, and England boss Gareth Southgate is reportedly ‘closely following his performances’.
As are Tottenham and Newcastle, according to Football Insider, who report that a well-placed source claims the 22-year-old ‘ticks a lot of boxes’ for the pair ahead of a potential summer swoop.
Everton will be more than willing to listen to offers given their financial woes and are ‘keen to bank a big profit’ on Garner, though ‘holding out for £20-25m’ may not be enough to keep the FFP wolves from the door.
EDERSON INTEREST
Manchester United were ‘preparing a concrete offer’ in January that came to nothing, Eddie Howe wanted him alongside Amadou Onana as his new £94m Newcastle midfield, and Fabio Paratici wanted to ‘exact revenge’ on United by swooping in ahead of them, but Ederson remained at Atalanta in the winter window.
Premier League interest isn’t going away though, with Liverpool and Arsenal joining that reported trio in vying for the 24-year-old midfielder.
Ederson has five goals and one assist in 23 Serie A appearances for Atalanta this term, but a move to England may well be complicated by Juventus, who are keen on him along with midfield partner Teun Koopmeiners.
Gazzetta dello Sport claim Atalanta will not entertain offers below €40m for Ederson, and are unlikely to allow both him and Koopmeiners to leave in the summer, having banked a significant fee from Manchester United for Rasmus Hojlund last summer to ease financial pressure.
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