Transfer gossip: Liverpool battle Arsenal for €80m snubber; City ‘work on’ deal for Chelsea star

Liverpool could ignore Bellingham and instead make another play for the last midfielder to snub them for Real Madrid, but will face competition from Arsenal.

KLOPP WANTS TCHOU
“We were going for a midfielder who decided to go to another club,” Klopp said back in August, as he was consistently asked why Liverpool hadn’t signed a midfielder. The German boss also reeled off a list of the midfielders he did have at his disposal as he attempted to fool himself into believing they didn’t need one, before later admitting that they absolutely did.

The midfielder who snubbed Liverpool was Aurelien Tchouameni, and faced with the same battle with Real Madrid for Jude Bellingham (which they may very well lose again), reports suggest they may instead end up with their first choice of last summer with Madrid already wanting an upgrade.

Tchouameni moved to Madrid from Monaco for €80m in the summer but Fichajes claim the Spanish giants could look to cash in on the 23-year-old – who’s started roughly half of their La Liga games – after just one season.

Compatriot Eduardo Camavinga has been preferred to Tchouameni more recently by Carlo Ancelotti, who is ‘not convinced’ by Tchouameni.

Klopp is expected to make widespread changes at Liverpool in the summer, with the midfield a particular focus, but the report claims Arsenal will also be in the mix for Tchouameni should he be available, with Mikel Arteta on the lookout for a long-term partner for Thomas Partey in the centre of midfield.

MOUNT-ING OFFERS
Liverpool remain the frontrunners to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea this summer, despite Manchester City also ‘working on a deal’ for the England international.

A report this week claimed negotiations over a new deal at Chelsea had been put on hold until the end of the season, with Mount wanting a shorter contract than the club are willing to offer.

Suggestions Mount wants £300,000 per week are said to be wide of the mark, but Football Insider claim the mifielder has rejected an offer of £180,000 per week, though it’s not clear how long that contract offer was, and that appears to be the main sticking point.

City are said to be interested in Mount, though Kalvin Phillips’ struggle for minutes at the Etihad may make Mount think twice about joining Pep Guardiola’s side.

Liverpool meanwhile are desperate for midfield recruits, and the report claims Anfield remains the 24-year-old’s most likely landing spot.

LAPORTE TO SPURS
Tottenham don’t currently have a manager and their director of football is banned for false accounting, so they’re a club that’s unlikely to be making great moves in the transfer market as things stand.

But according to 90min one signing may have landed in their lap, with Manchester City reportedly offering them Aymeric Laporte.

City have extraordinary strength in depth at centre-back with John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake all vying with Laporter for a starting spot.

And it appears City are willing to sell Laporte, who wants to leave in search of more game time.

Paris Saint-Germain have been offered the Spain international along with Spurs.