Liverpool can't let unreal star join Newcastle: Talks to begin | OneFootball

Liverpool can't afford to let one of Europe's best midfielders join Newcastle United. The Magpies are set to start talks.

Liverpool are in the market for a new midfielder after a season where they struggled to control games. The Reds aren't necessarily after a particular midfielder, or even type of midfielder - but they need to boost their numbers in the middle of the park.

It's a situation that could be made worse by Curtis Jones leaving the club. The Scouser is heavily linked with a move to Inter now that he's in the final year of his contract.

An exit would leave Liverpool very, very short and makes signing a new midfielder necessary. But who? Someone like Adam Wharton is certainly on the shortlist but the fees being asked for him are astronomical for what he does.

Enough so that we don't believe Liverpool should move for him.

One very exciting alternative is Johan Manzambi, who has shone brightly at the World Cup this summer. And that's on the back of a fantastic season at Freiburg that saw the Swiss midfielder stand out as one of Europe's top U21 players.

Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets

Open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater.

18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

£30 FREECLAIM NOW

18+Gambling can be addictive — please only bet what you can afford to lose. For free support visitBeGambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). Self-exclude at GAMSTOP.co.uk. AnfieldWatch is not a licensed betting operator. Offers subject to change.

We believe Manzambi was really only behind the Paris Saint-Germain pair of Warren Zaïre-Emery and Senny Mayulu for overall value added by a midfielder 21 or under. He's also the standout attacking centre-midfielder in his age bracket and by quite some way.

We're massive fans, in other words. Manzambi might be the perfect midfielder, all things considered, but it appears Newcastle United are pushing hardest for him.

The Athletic reports that Newcastle will open talks over the midfielder in the coming days. They're eager to snap him up to fill the void left by Sandro Tonali after his move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Well, Liverpool shouldn't let that happen. Manzambi is the perfect option right now and significantly cheaper than someone like Wharton, albeit without the homegrown value.

He's the one we'd love to see the Reds sign - but they're running out of time. Get him in for good money and that's the midfield sorted for a long time to come.