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Liverpool’s summer so far has seen the club focusing on out of contract players, deals that can be done quickly and relatively cheap. The club have also seemed almost laser focused on sourcing talent that has already played in England, apparently returning to the Premier League proven model that marked the earliest days of FSG at the club.
Nathaniel Clyne wouldn’t mark a change of the latter, as the 24-year-old Southampton right back certainly qualifying as Premier League proven, but he would at least be a change to the former. Liverpool have already had a £10M bid for the defender rejected out of hand—this despite that the player only has a year left on his current deal—but reports have a second bid being prepared.
Both the Independent and Liverpool Echo believe the club are preparing an improved bid, though it is unlikely to be the £15M Southampton reportedly are demanding to consider selling the player. Or at least that they’re demanding from Liverpool, as the south coast club are rumoured to still be bitter about their dealings with Liverpool last summer.
In the end, having come out £50M richer thanks to the sale of Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, and Rickie Lambert and then going on to an even better season without the trio, it’s fair to say Southampton look to have come out ahead. Still, being raided by Liverpool wasn’t a pleasant experience for the club or its fans, and there has been some suggestion that if Southampton have to sell they would prefer to send Clyne elsewhere.
Elsewhere could be Manchester United, though reports claim Clyne prefers Liverpool as a destination. Still, if Liverpool really have set Clyne out as their priority at right back, the club will have to decide quickly if it’s worth paying what Southampton have demanded—even if it’s an inflated fee that ignores the player’s contract status—or dragging negotiations out and risking losing the player.
