Liverpool have been joined by Manchester United in the hunt to sign Real Betis left-back Junior Firpo, according to Marca.
A previous report [Sport] initially credited Jurgen Klopp’s side with interest in the 22-year-old, who has a £45m release clause in his contract.
Marca now say, however, that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on bringing Firpo to Old Trafford, with both his side and the Reds preparing to compete for the player’s signature.
They also claim that Liverpool are not put off a potential deal by the £45m fee.
OPINION
If this report is true, it is an interesting development as far as Liverpool are concerned. It means they must work extra hard to try to convince Firpo to join them, and they definitely should try to sign him. Andy Robertson is the only recognised left-back at Anfield due to Alberto Moreno’s departure. And while Robertson was absolutely immense last season, Firpo would be excellent cover. In 24 La Liga appearances, the 22-year-old scored three goals and assisted four others. As a starting point, this ability to be creative going forward is already exciting, since Robertson was so influential in the same manner last term. What’s more, though, Firpo showed that he can be defensively brilliant too. He averaged 1.6 key tackles and 1.5 clearances per league game, which – like Robertson, who made 2.2 key tackles per game last term – shows that he is not afraid to get stuck in at the back despite being offensively-minded. Overall, Firpo would be a great addition and one which Liverpool should definitely target. If they’re prepared to spend that much on a player for cover, though, it will show just how far Liverpool are prepared to go to land the Premier League title.
