Erik ten Hag is the driving force behind Man Utd hijacking a Liverpool deal for Colombia’s newest hotshot forward who’ll cost a similar amount to a recent Chelsea coup, per a report.
Colombian forwards have come to the fore in the Premier League of late. Liverpool signed Luis Diaz back in January and the 25-year-old has been an instant hit at Anfield. Prior to his unfortunate knee injury that has ruled him out until after the World Cup, Diaz was arguably Liverpool’s best player in what has otherwise been a dismal campaign on Merseyside.
Leeds Utd moved for Luis Sinisterra soon after selling Raphinha to Barcelona. While Jesse Marsch’s side are struggling, Sinisterra has been a bright spark and already has three goals to his name.
Reports in early October claimed Liverpool were looking to sign another Colombian attacker – Chicago Fire’s Jhon Duran.
The 18-year-old plays primarily at centre forward and burst onto the scene in the last MLS campaign.
Duran scored eight and assisted five in 27 appearances – an eye-catching return for someone so young.
Liverpool took note, with the Sun reporting Chelsea would also be in the mix if Duran left America.
Unnamed clubs in Spain and Germany were also said to be circling.
However, a new report from the Sun reveals Liverpool and Chelsea could be left empty-handed by Man Utd.
Man Utd contact Jhon Duran camp
It’s reported the Red Devils are gearing up for a transfer battle with Liverpool specifically. What’s more, Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, is behind an early blow being landed.
The Sun state ‘Erik ten Hag’s associates have been in contact’ with Duran’s representatives and are keen to strike a deal with Chicago Fire.
Duran’s agent and members of his family recently travelled to England ahead of a potential future move. They’ve been speaking to interested clubs and Chicago are understood to be warming to the idea of a sale.
Hinting at how much Duran will cost, the report claims his deal could closely mirror that of Gabriel Slonina’s move to Chelsea.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper was an £8.1m signing – also from Chicago Fire – last summer.
Add-ons will eventually take that figure beyond £10m and Chicago will seek a similar structure of deal for Duran.
The forward’s value could soar in 2023, especially if he takes another leap forward in MLS.
He’ll be starved of starring in Qatar after Colombia missed out on qualification for the World Cup.
However, despite potentially being able to generate a higher fee if they hold out, the Sun conclude Chicago may cash in sooner rather than later to fund a rebuild after a disappointing 2022 season.