19 Jul 2016

Shock Deal: Liverpool could seal surprise Man Utd transfer for 'amazing' £20m international

With Marko Grujic already signed, and Jurgen Klopp seemingly desperate to bring in more midfielders (like Giorgino Wijnaldum, for example) the end is night for Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen, but where will he end up this summer. The smart money say a return to Swansea is on the card, but new reports this week suggest that £20m-rated Allen is a shock transfer target for Liverpool's biggest rivals.

According to the South Wales Evening Post:

"Jose Mourinho could scupper Swansea's bid to [sign] Joe Allen. Manchester United are considering a move for Allen, one of the stars for Wales [at] Euro 2016".

Man Utd were also linked with Allen back in August 2014, but given the self-imposed (and long-standing) transfer embargo between the two clubs, a deal seems highly unlikely. When asked last week about Allen's future, Klopp told the BBC:

"Obviously Joe Allen is a good player. We never doubted this. We have to make decisions, we have to find solutions. We have to talk to the player, ask the player and think about our situation. That's how it works."

If he wanted to, Klopp could've confirmed his desire to keep Allen in the squad (if indeed that is his personal desire), but the fact the refrained from doing so suggests (to me) that Allen is expendable. As a comparison: Klopp unambiguously confirmed this week that he wants rid of Mario Balotelli, so it's not as if he's averse to being candid about potential outgoing transfers.

If by some miracle Allen ends up at United, I doubt the move will improve Allen's chances of regular first-team football. Like Klopp, Mourinho probably sees him as a squad player; a versatile, 'multi-functional' operator who's capable of plugging the gaps in midfield. Indeed, last week, Mourinho confirmed that he likes to have 'one or two multi-functional players' in his squad, and Allen certainly fits the bill.

If first-team football is Allen's goal, he is better off returning to Swansea, where he'll be the proverbial big fish in a small pond.

^ Hailed last week by Gareth Bale as 'amazing'.




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