Manchester City are not sitting this one out. The former Premier League champions have now joined Liverpool in the race to sign 17-year-old striker Will Wright from Salford City.
And this is no youth-level tug of war — it’s a full-on transfer derby between two of England’s top clubs.
Liverpool made the first move. Reports (via Daily Mail) suggest the Reds submitted a formal offer for Wright, hoping to seal the deal before other teams jumped in. But now, City are preparing a counter-offer, believed to be over £100,000 with add-ons.
The teenager, currently in the second year of his scholarship at Salford, has been a standout across all levels.
He scored over 50 goals last season alone — not bad for someone who, just two years ago, was turning out for local clubs Euxton Villa and Fylde.
And now? Well, he’s on the radar of Europe’s elite.
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Who is Will Wright, and why Liverpool are keen to sign him?
Wright may still be raw, but he’s already made his senior debut. That came in January — ironically, against Manchester City in the FA Cup.
He only got a few minutes, and the game ended in an 8-0 loss for Salford. But his presence on the pitch spoke volumes about his rising stock at the club.
Standing at 6ft 3in, Wright is a proper center forward — the kind who can hold the ball, score with either foot, and bully defenders twice his age.
No wonder he’s caught the attention of not just Liverpool and City, but also Arsenal, Brentford, Leicester, and Burnley.
Despite the buzz, sources say Wright favours a move to Anfield. Liverpool’s track record with young talents might be the deciding factor. They’ve already added Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea and are chasing Fulham’s Set Ridgeon too.
With both Liverpool and City pushing hard, Salford’s co-owners — yes, that Gary Neville and David Beckham — now have a big call to make. And no, it won’t be made on a WhatsApp group.
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