Leeds are racing to sign an ‘outstanding’ star on a free transfer but opt ​​for Reds

Leeds are racing to sign an ‘outstanding’ star on a free transfer but opt ​​for Liverpool

Fabrizio Romano reported on Twitter on Sunday afternoon that Brighton are close to finalizing a deal to sign James Milner from Liverpool on a free transfer.

Milner, 37, was due to leave Liverpool last week after eight years in which he made no fewer than 331 appearances. The 61-times England star moved in 14 games off Ryan Giggs’ League record of 632 on Saturday.

It appears Milner has a very good chance of surpassing that record, with a move to Brighton on the horizon. The Seagulls have swiftly moved into the summer semester and have already landed Joao Pedro from Watford. Now they are keen to strike a deal to sign Milner on a free transfer – ahead of Leeds. The email said Leeds could not be ruled out of signing Milner. But Romano says all is well between Brighton and Milner.

Brighton are now close to finalizing James Milner’s free transfer deal – the club believe this will soon be finalized and sealed, despite interest from other clubs, including Leeds.

De Zerbi wants Milner and talks have already taken place. Followed by: Mo Dahoud, released by Dortmund. pic.twitter.com/2wJQgpFci2

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 21, 2023

View tweets

A blow for Leeds. The bad news keeps coming and demotion now looks more like an inevitability than a concern. That goes hand-in-hand with goals, of course — and the “outstanding” star won’t want to drop out of a split.

Especially with the possibility of breaking the all-time Premier League attendance record. He sits 34 behind former Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton player Gareth Barry who tops the list with 652 PL appearances.

The belief is that Milner would love to return to his old club, where it all began. But while Brighton are in Europe and Leeds are likely in the league, he would prefer to move to the south coast.

Also..

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has new Ilkay Gundogan, big transfer ‘done’ already 

Jurgen Klopp and Ilkay Gundogan worked together at Borussia Dortmund and the Liverpool manager may have just brought the next best thing to Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp may be set to welcome a new Ilkay Gundogan to Anfield amid reports that Alexis Mac Allister has agreed to sign for Liverpool this summer. In working with the outgoing Brighton star, Klopp will hope to rediscover the kind of relationship that he enjoyed with Gundogan at Borussia Dortmund, where the pair win a Bundesliga title.

The two are not only similar in stature, with Mac Allister only two inches shorter than Gundogan and comparable in stature, but also in the way they like to move forward and engage in attacks. Both players are among the most prolific goalscorers among central midfielders in Europe’s five major leagues, each averaging more than two per 90 minutes played.

Mac Allister and Gundogan are also ranked highly in terms of their pass completion rate and the number of touches they take in the opposition penalty area, but there are several areas in which each player has developed a niche of their own.

One thing Klopp will hope Mac Allister adds to his game is assists. The 24-year-old has only notched two in the Premier League this season – an underwhelming figure for an all-round midfielder, and Gundogan is streets ahead in that department.

But the Reds can take huge encouragement from an attribute that Mac Allister has and Gundogan does not – tackling. The City star tends to leave it to his defensive-minded team-mates, such as Rodri or John Stones, whereas his Seagulls counterpart takes matters into his own hands, which should give Klopp’s side added steel in the middle of the park.

Landing Mac Allister would therefore be an exciting proposition for the Anfield faithful, and the fact that they are reportedly set to pip Chelsea to the Argentine’s signature will only make the deal that much sweeter.