Transfer gossip: Liverpool in seven-club fight for Japan midfielder; Arsenal ‘monitor’ £80m man

A new name has been added to Liverpool’s ever-growing list of midfield targets, while Arsenal remain interested in Brighton’s prized asset.
LIVERPOOL KEEPING TABS ON KAMADA
The Reds are going to be linked with an endless number of midfielders in the coming months and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Daichi Kamada is a new player on their radar.
Liverpool’s midfield has grown stale and they certainly could do with a few fresh faces. Kamada would add an attacking threat as he has grabbed seven goals and five assists in the Bundesliga this season.
We tipped him for a move to the Premier League back in November and now 90min are reporting that ‘various clubs are weighing up whether to make a move for the Japan international’.
There is ‘strong interest’ in Kamada from the Premier League, with Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all ‘keeping tabs’ on his progress.
Kamada also has admirers further afield as Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and PSG are also ‘keen’ on the 26-year-old.
The Frankfurt midfielder is out of contract in the summer and you feel that it’s inevitable that he will move on as a free agent.
ATLETICO ‘FEAR MISSING OUT’ ON CHELSEA TARGET
Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram is another player set to be on the market this summer as a free agent.
The 25-year-old forward has enjoyed a breakout season in 2022/23 with him scoring 10 goals in 18 league appearances for the Bundesliga outfit.
Thuram also made his mark at the World Cup for France and Chelsea had their eye on him last month. He reportedly ‘said no’ to a move to the Blues in January as he intends to see out his contract at Gladbach.
Chelsea remain interested in Thuram as they are in desperate need of a striker or two with them shockingly short of options up front, despite their £600m spend this season.
ESPN are reporting that La Liga giants Atletico Madrid have Thuram ‘on their list of targets’ but they ‘fear missing out amid competition from Premier League clubs and Bayern Munich’.
Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias is named as an ‘alternative’ for Atletico, who are also ‘looking to move Joao Felix on permanently’ this summer following his loan spell at Stamford Bridge.
ARSENAL ‘STILL MONITORING’ £80m MIDFIELDER
Liverpool are not alone in prioritising new midfielders, as Arsenal are also keen to strengthen in that department.
The Gunners have consistently been linked with Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans this season and they seemingly have identified West Ham star Declan Rice as their top target.
But Arsenal have other players on their radar as they looked to sign £80m-rated Moises Caicedo from Brighton during the January transfer window.
The Premier League leaders failed with two bids for the midfielder, who has returned to the fold at Brighton after being banished from the training ground by Roberto De Zerbi.
The Seagulls were insistent that Caicedo would not be sold in January, but it remains to be seen if his situation will change by the summer with him under contract until 2025.
Pete O’Rourke is reporting that Arsenal are “still monitoring his situation” at Brighton and they could benefit from Caicedo being “openly keen” to a move to the Emirates.
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