‘Worth a gamble’ – Liverpool tipped to make shock transfer move for Man City star
This would be a shock.
Lee Sharpe has tipped Liverpool to make a shock transfer move for one of Manchester City’s key players in the summer window.
Leading by 13 points in the Premier League over Arsenal with just six games remaining, Liverpool look set to end Arne Slot’s first season in charge in style.
As such, the Reds will soon turn their attention to the summer transfer window as they plot new signings to improve upon Slot’s squad.
In that regard, there has already been some good news, with key players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk extending their contracts which were due to expire at the end of this season.
But the Merseyside club will surely have to dip into the market, especially as they look to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks destined for a move to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
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And Sharpe would not be surprised if those in charge at Anfield consider a surprise move for City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to add some much-needed depth and experience to their squad in the middle of the park.
The Belgian is set to leave City at the end of the season, but caught many by surprise when he suggested that he would be open to staying in England and joining a rival Premier League side.
The 33-year-old has started just 14 games in the Premier League this season, largely due to a hernia problem, but Sharpe reckons Liverpool could take a gamble on the midfielder who rolled back the years with a superb performance against Crystal Palace last weekend.
‘I can see him staying in Europe. Over the last couple of weeks, he’s got himself fully fit again, and he’s come out and said he’s playing pain-free for the first time in a while which is a huge thing for any player and I think we’re seeing him at his best,’ the former Manchester United winger told Stadium Asto.
‘He’s got to the age where he’s enjoying every second of it because he knows it’s coming to an end.
‘I think he could be worth a gamble for Liverpool. I remember Gary McAllister going there towards the end of his career and coming on and just dictating things and keeping things calm.
What Kevin De Bruyne has said about joining a rival Premier League club
‘If teams come and they can convince me that something sporting is nice, a nice project, I’m able,’ De Bruyne said.
‘I know, obviously, I’m not the youngest any more but I still feel I’m able to perform at a very high level.
‘I don’t know what teams are interested or what they want to do, but whatever project is available I’m willing to listen.
‘I love football, I love to play football, if a nice project comes and my family is also good with that then we are able to make a decision.’
‘He could get a one-year deal with an extension if he stays fit, and he wouldn’t have to play every game because of the strength of their squad they’ve got there.
‘He could play in certain games and I think that would be a pretty good move for him and it would work out for Liverpool as well.’
Joe Cole, meanwhile, said De Bruyne would be perfect for his former club Chelsea if they can coax the Belgian back for a second stint at Stamford Bridge.
‘If I’m Chelsea and I’m sitting around with them [the board], I’m going, ‘we need experienced players’,’ he said on The Dressing Room Podcast.
‘Kevin De Bruyne, he’s been injured a bit, but what he gives the changing room as a winner, as a leader, we might only need him for 30 games a season, we can manage him.
‘Imagine him walking through the door with those young players and those difficult moments. I would say, ‘whatever you want, we’ll write it off’. Come and play for us for two years.’
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