A player swap deal that could benefit both Liverpool and Brentfordplaceholder image
A player swap deal that could benefit both Liverpool and Brentford | Getty Images
Liverpool are up against stiff competition for this summer transfer target.
Liverpool are still on the market for another new centre-back following the arrival of Giovanni Leoni. With concerns raised around their defence, the Premier League champions are eager to significantly bolster their options across the backline.
While Leoni became a regular starter for former club Parma in the second half of last season, the 18-year-old is unlikely to be thrown into the deep end right away with the Reds. Liverpool remain interested in signing another central defender who can contest for the space alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Brentford captain Nathan Collins is a candidate the Reds are considering but they’re now up against stiff competition to get a deal done.
Liverpool face competition for Nathan Collins
According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur are also in the running for Collins’ signature and are now ‘stepping up their efforts’ to sign him.
Spurs’ current manager Thomas Frank joined the club from Brentford and he is eager to be reunited with the 24-year-old. The report claims that ‘contacts are expected to take place imminently’ as the club work on bringing Collins in.
Manchester United are also keen on signing the Bees captain, particularly as most of their focus this summer has been on bolstering their attack. However, their current financial situation means they must sell players before they table an serious offers, putting them at a disadvantage in the race for Collins.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are in a much stronger position to complete financially. The Reds have been extremely busy this summer and have sold eight players so far. Offloading the likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez saw more than £120 million combined agreed through sales, while they’ve also made significant profit on Tyler Morton and Ben Doak.
Will Brentford sell Nathan Collins to Liverpool?
As things stand, it’s going to be a tough task to sign Collins. The centre-back is under contract until 2029 for one, meaning the club are under no pressure to be forced into selling. The Bees are also eager not to lose any further key players, having sold Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard to Premier League rivals already.
While Collins is one of the main names on Liverpool’s transfer shortlist, ‘no official approach’ has been made just yet. Marc Guehi is also reportedly viewed as ‘more of a priority’ to sign than the Brentford star.
Spurs are ‘upping their efforts’ to sign Collins this summer and the lure of playing under former manager Frank again could also tip the scales in their direction.
An asking price for Collins has not been specified but given Brentford signed him just two years ago, it’s highly likely they will want significantly more than the £23 million they paid Wolves.
If Liverpool want to see a deal materialise, they will need to act fast and table a convincing offer. Not only will they need to persuade Brentford to sell in the first place, but they will need to pitch a better offer than Tottenham.
The Bees value Collins highly and have named him their captain for this season, meaning they clearly have big plans for him moving forwards. A feature piece on Collins posted to the club’s website also refers to him as a ‘born leader’, and goes into depth about his life, career and rise so far.
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