With Julian Draxler choosing Paris Saint-Germain and the Wilfried Zaha rumours never really taking flight, the last week has seen the rumour mill settle on two multi-purpose attackers with Liverpool looking to strengthen quickly when the transfer window opens in January.
First is Quincy Promes, Spartak Moscow’s 24-year-old winger who is said to have a quite reasonable £20M release clause. Second has been Julian Brandt, younger and less polished but potentially even cheaper and one of the brightest young stars in Germany. He’s also more in demand.
Reports today claim Liverpool are currently in the midst of a frantic five-way race to sign the 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen attacker who has been rumoured to have a release clause of around £17M and who, if the rumours are to be believed, is on the verge of a Premier League move.
The only question, if the rumours are true, is where in the Premier League. Liverpool have been linked to him for some time, but Manchester United and Everton are also said to be after him, and so too are Tottenham and Arsenal. There is little consensus on who the frontrunner might be.
Brandt can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder, and he has two goals and six assists in 16 league games this season at a rate of a goal involvement every 149 minutes. Leverkusen are currently attempting to sign him to a new deal that would remove the release clause.