The transfer window hasn’t opened in earnest yet and we’re already knee deep in Liverpool transfer gossip with the Reds apparently set for a three-way battle royale with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Ukrainian winger Yevhen Konoplyanka.
Kopites everywhere will be familiar with the name after missing out on the talented 24-year old on the last day of the January transfer window. With the Reds hierarchy courting eventual Chelsea transplant Mohamed Salah for much of the month, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk looked to be the fall back option for Brendan Rodgers side, and despite meeting the buy-out clause for his services, the deal couldn’t be completed before the window slammed shut.
With Champions League football on offer and a transfer kitty befitting a side on the up, rumour has it that Liverpool will return for Konoplyanka’s services this summer. “Konoplyanka is still available for any club to buy” Dnipro director Andriy Stetsenko is quoted as saying. His contact has a buy-out option worth £12million.” With that out in the open, the Reds are apparently going to come in for some competition for his signature with newly installed Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal apparently also interested in snapping up the talented 24-year old, as well as perennial Liverpool target chasers Tottenham Hotspur.
The currently manager-less London outfit, who will be playing in the Europa League this season, were known to be keen admirers of the winger during the January window, but the emergence of Manchester United as a potential suitor could muddy the waters slightly. Though they won’t be playing in Europe at all this season, Konoplyanka could be tempted to move to Old Trafford with the new United manager set to be handed beaucoup bucks in his bid to make a swift return to the top of the table. Whether this actually pans out is anyone’s guess, but it would be nice to see Liverpool use both their financial muscle and the allure of Europe’s most prestigious club competition to get one over on sides that are so used to getting one over on them.
Fair is fair, right?
