Transfer News: Juve icon to Roma, Man Utd’s Sancho option, Barça vs. Liverpool for prospect
Could a Juventus club icon join Roma in 2024? Who is the latest team interested in signing Jadon Sancho from Manchester United? And will Barcelona or Liverpool sign a highly-rated teenage winger?
All of the latest transfer rumors and news around Europe below.
Barcelona, Liverpool competing for prospect
According to a report from Mundo Deportivo’s Jordi Batalla, Barcelona and Liverpool are among the clubs interested in 18-year-old winger Momodou Sonko. RB Leipzig also said to be involved in the transfer battle.
Barcelona have a great collection of young talent from La Masia, but that has not stopped them from showing interest in excellent young talents from around world football. Vitor Roque, for example, should be joining shortly from Brazil.
Sonko is 18 years old and currently plays for BK Häcken in Sweden. At a cost of just under 10 million euros, Sonko could be a steal for either Barça or Liverpool if he ends up becoming a great player at the European level.
Liverpool have less of a need on the wings than Barcelona, but they could still use a young standout to develop there. After all, Mohamed Salah’s time isn’t infinite, while Luis Díaz could potentially use some competition.
Jadon Sancho from Manchester United to RB Leipzig?
According to a report from BILD’s Yvonne Gabriel, Bundesliga power RB Leipzig are now the latest team to show interest in Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho.
For several seasons, Sancho was arguably the best player in the Bundesliga while at Borussia Dortmund, competing with Bayern München’s record-breaking veteran striker Robert Lewandowski for that honor.
Sancho dazzled with his dribbling skills and had end product as a scorer and provider for BVB. A reunion to Dortmund seems like the best solution, given the club’s serious need on the wings.
However, a transfer to a Bundesliga rival in Leipzig could be intriguing. They could use Sancho’s ability in tight spaces and devastating end product on the counter. A link-up between the England international and Loïs Openda would be fantastic.
Leonardo Bonucci could join Roma
According to Corriere dello Sport’s Eleanora Trotta, Roma are showing interest in Union Berlin center back Leonardo Bonucci, formerly of Juventus and AC Milan in Serie A.
Bonucci joined Union this past summer to a great deal of fanfare and shock after a very bitter ending to his career in Turin.
While Bonucci’s play did decline, the way he was treated by the Bianconeri left a sour taste in the mouths of many, with the center back even suing his former club despite being an icon there.
Bonucci has struggled for Union, who qualified for the Champions League this season but look way off the pace for another UCL qualification next season.
Meanwhile, Roma do need center back help. Young options are the favorite, but they would do well to pair one of those prospects with an experienced Serie A star like Bonucci.
Though he is not the player he once was at 36, Bonucci has the on-the-ball quality, leadership, and character to be the kind of veteran backup José Mourinho loves to have around.
Surely, he likes the former Juve track, given the success Paulo Dybala’s had in the capital city.
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Liverpool now looking at making multiple signings from same country including £52m player
Liverpool are looking at options in the Portuguese league ahead of the January transfer market.
With the New Year just around the corner, rumours are starting to ramp up that the Reds will be doing some business.
With that in mind, The Daily Mail have reported one or two interesting nuggets of information this week.
First of all, they claim that Liverpool’s business is likely to depend on rival clubs’ European progress. There’s reportedly a higher chance that they’ll sign a target if the player’s club has fallen out of the Champions League, for example.
It’s also claimed that the Reds have their eye on a ‘number’ of players in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Having already signed Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez from Porto and Benfica respectively, Liverpool are said to be ready to come back for more. Goncalo Inacio is mentioned specifically, but the 22-year-old is reportedly not the only one the Reds are considering a move for.
Liverpool look to Portugal again
Liverpool are clearly big fans of the talent being produced and developed over in Portugal right now.
Diaz kicked that off, with Nunez following shortly after. And as well as Inacio, they’ve also been linked with the likes of Florentino Luis and previously Matheus Nunes and Enzo Fernandez.
However, although there are certainly some exciting players in Portugal, we’d perhaps question this approach right now.
For all of Diaz, Nunez, Matheus and Enzo, the moves from Benfica, Porto or Sporting to England have been challenging.
Diaz and Nunez have obviously shown some very good things since arriving in 2022. But just now, neither are sparkling, or even threatening to. Both are capable and exciting players, but they haven’t fully made the step up to Liverpool.
Nunes is another who’s struggled. After an underwhelming season at Wolves, the 25-year-old has hardly had a sniff at Manchester City this year either.
Enzo meanwhile has looked good at times for Chelsea. But having now been in the country for almost a year, the Argentine has barely won a game with the Blues.
As a result, we’d be slightly cautious if we were in charge of Liverpool’s purse-strings here. Diaz, Nunez, Matheus and Enzo cost something like £260m combined direct from Portugal. Inacio’s £52m release clause is also a hefty one. Unless there are some bargains to be found somewhere, we’d be minded to steer clear here, Reds.
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