Neil Jones has given his assessment of Liverpool’s chances of securing a move for Jamal Musiala in 2024.
The Bayern Munich midfielder has been strongly linked with the Reds in recent days, with Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke writing that Anfield chiefs are ‘doing their due diligence on a potential deal’ for the 20-year-old, who they view as a ‘superstar in the making’.
It’s only a few weeks since Jurgen Klopp raided the Allianz Arena for one midfield gem in Ryan Gravenberch, but one of the most reliable sources on LFC transfer news has doubted the possibility of a second lightning strike in that regard.
In his latest column for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Jones wrote: “I don’t think there is a club in Europe who wouldn’t like Jamal Musiala in their squad, and Liverpool are no different. But admiring a player and signing him are two different things, as evidenced by the Reds’ failure to land Jude Bellingham.
“Musiala, I believe, is of a similar level to Bellingham, and as such would be very tough for the Reds to sign, both in terms of the finances required and the competition they would face.
“His contract situation at Bayern Munich is one that will be monitored, but I would expect the Bavarians to go all-out in trying to keep him. He’s the jewel in their crown, along with Harry Kane, and Bayern don’t tend to lose such players without a fight.
“Liverpool, of course, have already made significant steps in overhauling their midfield, and particularly their attacking midfield options. Szoboszlai and Gravenberch are players for the long-term, the best is to come from Mac Allister, who may well be better in a more advanced role, while the development of Elliott and Jones provides Klopp with two more potential stars of the future.
“Musiala, of course, is exactly that too, but while I’d love to see him at Anfield at some point, I’d say a deal right now would be a very difficult one for Liverpool to do.”
One thing Liverpool chiefs will surely recognise is that if they are to lure Musiala to Anfield, it won’t be done without Bayern putting up an almighty fight to try and keep the player.
The Munich giants’ sporting director Christoph Freund is understood to have held a meeting with the player’s representatives in recent days, with the Bundesliga champions determined to see him ‘become the decisive face of the club’ despite the youngster’s unwillingness to extend his current contract (Florian Plettenberg).
Whether or not the Reds actively attempt to sign him could depend on what their transfer priorities are for January, with a defensive midfielder and a versatile defender perhaps being higher up the list than another playmaker.
Then again, having missed the boat on Bellingham earlier this year, Liverpool could be reluctant to pass up the opportunity to try and bring in another Golden Boy candidate in Musiala.
We shouldn’t discount the possibility of Jorg Schmadtke attempting to persuade the 20-year-old to come to Anfield, but as Jones says, it could be a very challenging deal to pull off.
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