Malen update has sent Liverpool Twitter into meltdown but there's one thing we need to remember 💰
Liverpool Twitter is NOT happy
In one fell swoop, Liverpool Twitter has gone into meltdown.
A swathe of recent reports has tipped both Saul Niguez and Donyell Malen - two targets respectively eyed to fill the club’s midfield vacancy and bolster the forward line - to end up at different destinations.
The former at Barcelona and the latter at Borussia Dortmund, who have been long-term admirers of the Dutch international.
Indeed, reputable outlet Bild has claimed that the German outfit has already agreed personal terms with the highly-rated 22-year-old, though there remains a clash over the asking price attached.
An array of Reds fans jumped onto social media to express their displeasure at the update:
According to PSV’s most reputable insider, Rik Elfrink, however, things aren’t quite so clear-cut when it comes to the player’s future.
That roughly translates to (according to Google Translate): “Many questions about Donyell Malen.
“Borussia Dortmund is, as we know, an important option.
“With Malen, the conditions will be settled, but there is no offer from PSV yet.
“So nothing has been rejected. Agent Raiola is still trying to achieve a breakthrough.”
It’s undeniably frustrating to see the likes of Malen and Saul being linked to moves to Dortmund and Barcelona respectively, particularly given the latter are facing such an insurmountable mountain of debt that they must raise €200m in funds before they can register their summer signings.
Liverpool’s finances - much like many of Europe’s heavyweights - are tight following the financial ramifications of COVID-19, but to lose a potential target to the Catalan giants, in light of their own comparatively dire circumstances, would be unfathomable.
By contrast, a switch to the Bundesliga for Malen would be far more plausible.
Following Jadon Sancho’s move to Manchester United, Dortmund have been left with a considerable hole of their own to plug in the forward line and theoretically have £73m in the bank ready to splurge on a suitable replacement.
Over in Merseyside, there has been no end to the debate around our spending power, with those close to the club suggesting that we will be reliant to at least some degree on player sales.
A £60m target for outgoings has been quoted by The Athletic, a figure that would likely cover signings for two positions in need, but only Liam Millar and Kamil Grabara have left the club as of yet, contributing a meager £4.3m between them to the pot.
With that in mind, should Dortmund win this race, it won’t necessarily be down to Liverpool not fighting hard enough for their target or being too slow in negotiations - it will be purely due to financial reasons.
That’s understandably not a satisfying explanation given we’re talking about a club of such magnitude as Liverpool and with the recent trophy successes to back that up.
Regardless, it’ll be the likeliest explanation on offer - beyond, of course, a lack of genuine interest in the first place - if our reported target doesn’t end up in the famous red shirt next season.
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