Liverpool have a clear run to execute a brilliant £97m double-swoop for two elite midfield targets.
The summer transfer window is rarely a quiet affair around Anfield even more so after splashing £500m on new signings, but the coming months are rapidly shaping up to be a defining period for the future of Liverpool’s engine room.
On the surface, there is a quiet, underlying anxiety drifting through the fan base. Liverpool’s midfield, which has undergone so much surgery over the last couple of years, is suddenly staring down the barrel of some major uncertainty.
Reports of Alexis Mac Allister’s future has stubbornly refused to go away, while homegrown star Curtis Jones has his own suitors. Throw in the fact that Dominik Szoboszlai has hit a real roadblock in his contract talks, and it’s clear that sporting director Richard Hughes has a massive job on his hands.
Liverpool need midfield recruitments, and they need them sharpish.
For weeks, the club have been linked with several high-calibre targets, but the dread of a familiar hurdle loomed large. Manchester United their bitter North West rivals, in the midst of their own aggressive midfield rebuild under Michael Carrick, have been hovering over the exact same shortlist.
The prospect of an expensive, exhausting bidding war with our old rivals was a headache the Anfield hierarchy didn’t need.
Then, Monday happened. And in a bizarre twist of fate, United might have just handed Liverpool the ultimate transfer green light.
United’s rapid double-swoop changes the game
Old Trafford has seen a sudden flurry of decisive action. First came the confirmation of Andrey Santos high-profile, £50 million switch from Chelsea. But the real shockwave landed when United triggered a £35 million release clause in Youri Tielemans’ contract to snatch the Belgian international away from Aston Villa.
Man United's midfield has seen a shake-up ahead of the new season… ?? pic.twitter.com/JIXgGgbCmI
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 15, 2026
With £85 million spent and two major acquisitions through the door to slot in alongside Kobbie Mainoo, United’s central midfield rebuild is, for all intents and purposes, completed. Carrick has got his numbers, and more importantly, his starting slots are now firmly locked down.
it is Richard Hughes who might be smiling the widest.
By tying up deals for Santos and Tielemans, United have essentially taken themselves out of the running for the rest of the market. More importantly, they can no longer guarantee the one thing elite, ambitious young midfielders crave above all else: a guaranteed starting role.
And for Liverpool, that is a massive, golden advantage.
Take the case of Manu Koné. The French powerhouse, who is highly likely to leave AS Roma this summer, has been a long-term target on Liverpool’s radar. Roma are holding out for a hefty €60m (around £51m) fee, especially after Koné’s stellar performances for Les Bleus.
At 25, Koné is a player on the cusp of his prime. He is absolutely not going to sign for a club where he has to fight through a congested logjam just to get on the pitch. His priority is crystal clear: he needs regular, high-profile minutes to keep his place in France’s ultra-competitive national squad. United can no longer offer him those guarantees. Liverpool, with an glaring void in the centre of the park, absolutely can.
The same logic applies to Joao Gomes. With Wolves facing the grim reality of relegation, the tenacious Brazilian is almost certain to find a new home. Gomes harbors serious dreams of cementing his place in the Brazil national setup, and sitting on the bench at Old Trafford while Tielemans and Santos run the show is not in his script
Time for Richard Hughes to strike
The market has just presented a golden path forward. It is now up to Richard Hughes and the recruitment team to seize this initiative, show some real ambition, and wrap up deals for the likes of Kone or Gomes before anyone else wakes up to the opportunity.