Man United just proved Liverpool scouts right as $76m Mason Mount transfer alternative ‘explored’
As Manchester United struggle for a breakthrough in the pursuit of Mason Mount, Liverpool have already moved on and have reportedly found a cheaper alternative.
Liverpool’s summer rebuild has proven to be a moving target in recent months.
It all started, of course, with the pursuit of Jude Bellingham, who has since joined Real Madrid after believing Liverpool couldn’t spend the money on just one signing and instead needed multiple signings.
Then Mason Mount appeared to take center stage before Manchester United agreed personal terms with the Chelsea midfielder (via the Guardian). Almost a month after the reports, however, the Old Trafford club have yet to finalize a deal. The latest news from the Telegraph now suggests Manchester United will hold talks with Chelsea in a bid to break the deadlock, although the Red Devils are said to be adamant about not paying the required $82m (£65m) payment.
One could imagine this could bring Liverpool back into the conversation for Mount, but it appears the Reds have already moved on and may have found a better alternative.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool are “looking into” a deal for RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, and it’s not the first time he’s been linked.
In May, 90min reported that Liverpool scouts were keeping tabs on two RB Leipzig players against Bayern Munich, Dani Olmo and Szoboszlai. The former didn’t impress much but the latter scored a last minute penalty to seal the result and was not one of the stars of the show for the first time. Szoboszlai has scored 22 goals from midfield in 45 games for RB Leipzig this season and is open to leaving the Red Bull club this summer. He simply smiled and answered “next question” when asked about his future in the mixed zone, according to Chronicle Live.
Szoboszlai is in better shape than Mount, who has had a disappointing season, and could also be had for slightly less, according to The Athletic report, with his release clause set at $76m (£61m/ 70 million euros). It’s a much more reasonable fee for a younger player, who plays better and might just as well suit Klopp’s counter-pressing style.
A stumbling block for Liverpool would be the fact that they would like to play for a Champions League side, according to sources close to the player. Newcastle United are also interested in his services, having qualified for the Champions League at the expense of Liverpool, but Spain are interested alongside many other European clubs, which is not surprising given that Szoboszlai has been in more spectacular form this season.
One advantage Liverpool might have is that Szoboszlai has spoken a lot about Klopp in the past, describing him as his “dream manager” to work with.
“I really like Klopp,” Szoboszlai said in 2020 on the Csisztu channel on YouTube.
“What kind of person he is. The way he is able to inspire his players is amazing. Even if they have nothing, they can survive and its players can achieve anything. For me, he is the best manager [in the world].
Perhaps Klopp’s call could be enough to convince him to give up his desire to play in the Champions League for one season. Especially as the Premier League is set to have five automatic spots next season, making it even easier for Liverpool to return to Europe’s top flight. If the Reds could pull it off, they’d probably forget about Mount pretty quickly.
An original version of this article first appeared on May 25.