Liverpool have made a formal bid to sign Morocco centre-back Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal from Stade Rennais to strengthen their defense. They are also moving quickly in a bid to beat Newcastle United to the 19-year-old’s signature.
According to a report from Le360 Sport (via SportWitness), the Reds have made a good offer. However, details have yet to emerge regarding their bid to Stade Rennais. Meanwhile, Newcastle have sent emissaries to the player’s representatives.
While the youngster may not be a first-team candidate at Anfield immediately, the Reds are planning for the future. Reports (via TBR Football) have revealed that Ibrahima Konate could be sold this summer, as he enters the final year of his contract. This could open the door to first-team opportunities for Ait Boudial at Anfield.
The 19-year-old was signed by Rennes from Mohammed VI Football Academy in Morocco in July 2024. He spent half of the 2024–25 season on loan with Ligue 2 side Amiens SC and played in nine league games. While he may be far from becoming a regular in the Rennes first team, he is already starting to draw attention from other clubs.
Besides Liverpool and Newcastle, two other La Liga clubs are also among the contenders to sign the defender. However, their names are still unknown, according to the report. Despite still having three years left on his Rennes deal, Ait Boudlal looks like a likely candidate to move clubs this summer.
Liverpool have placed a price tag of €80 million on Luis Diaz, who could leave Anfield this summer (via Barca Universal). This amount is reportedly out of Barcelona‘s reach, considering their current budget. They have stepped up their chase for the Colombian as their summer target signing to bolster the wings.
Manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco are both eager to sign the services of the 28-year-old as they view him as a top choice for the left wing role. The club are keen to finalize a transfer with a lower price tag, which would be about €70 million, in an attempt to seal the deal.
Diaz scored 17 and provided eight assists in 50 games, as Liverpool won the Premier League. He has reportedly expressed interest in a transfer and, according to reports, informed the Catalan club that he is keen to play for them.
Saudi outfit Al-Nassr are also pursuing Diaz and will reportedly offer a humongous deal that can dwarf what Barcelona plan to pay. However, the Colombian winger would rather move to Spain than join the Saudi Pro League.
Nnanna’s favorite club is English team Bolton Wanderers because he witnessed Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha’s play for them between 2002 and 2006. His favorite footballer is Ronaldinho due to the Brazilian’s love for the sport and admires Pep Guardiola for redefining football tactics. As a former literature student, Nnanna reckons that the best way of connecting with the readers is to add a bit of empathy in his writing, and relies on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and WhoScored for his articles.
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