Liverpool could find next Bundesliga bargain as £8m transfer ‘confirmed’

May 12, 2022 admin LIVERPOOL 0

LEIPZIG, GERMANY - APRIL 10: Nordi Mukiele of RB Leipzig gestures during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim at Red Bull Arena on April 10, 2022 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)

 

Liverpool should be in the race to sign an RB Leipzig bargain after learning that one of their player’s contract won’t be extended beyond next summer.

Nordi Mukiele has been making a name for himself in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, but reports in Germany have confirmed that he will not be at the Bundesliga side next season.

The 24-year-old has been playing in the German top flight since leaving Montpellier four years ago, but Leipzig supposedly won’t renew his contract, which is due to expire in the summer of 2023.

Bild reports that Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Mukiele, and he could be available for as little as £8m this summer, with Leipzig supposedly open to offers.

Mukiele, predominately a right-back, has been utilised in an array of different positions, from right midfield to centre back, via a game at left-back. He made his debut for France at the beginning of the season and will be in contention for Didier Deschamps’ squad for the Qatar World Cup at the end of the year.

£8m is an undoubted bargain for someone of his age and quality. According to FBRef, Mukiele is in the 96 percentile for aerial battles won, and in the 87 percentile for interceptions.

This season, Mukiele has two goals and five assists from 36 games in all competitions as Leipzig reached the semi final of the Europa League.

Is he someone that Liverpool should be looking at, considering he’s going for a bargain price?

His versatility will no doubt be a major advantage to Jürgen Klopp should Liverpool make an enquiry about signing him. The club need a back-up option for Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mukiele would provide that.

Moreover, his ability to play in various positions means that he would get more game time under Klopp than, say, Neco Williams, who was Alexander-Arnold’s understudy for much of the last two years before leaving in search of more football.

Mukiele, at 24, would also fit in with the kind of profile FSG look for in a signing, with age playing a big part in their recruitment process. There’s also still room for improvement in his game, and Klopp would be the ideal coach to refine his game.

However, with the reported interest of PSG, and Mukiele born on the outskirts of the city, the allure of ‘home’ may be too much for him, and it would be very likely to see him return to Ligue 1 in the summer.

Yet from a Liverpool perspective, Mukiele is definitely someone the club should be looking at. If he was signed, and it didn’t work out, he could always be re-sold and, given the small outlay in bringing him in, the club would likely make a profit on him.

If he were to arrive and was a success, he would be just the latest in a long line of shrewd moves made by the club. It’s really a no lose situation. That doesn’t mean it will happen, but the Reds should be keeping an eye on Mukiele.