Liverpool and Chelsea have often done battle with each other in the transfer window and the Premier League giants are being tipped to do so again this January
Liverpool are said to be interested in signing a major Chelsea transfer target.
Roma midfielder Manu Kone was a man in demand this summer, being linked with the Blues, as well as Manchester United and Arsenal. However, Xabi Alonso’s side were the Premier League team who made the most concrete offer to sign him. Toward the end of the transfer window, it’s understood they filed a £51.5million bid to sign him, but the Italians resisted the offer and decided to keep him.
Chelsea then went to sign Monaco ace Lamine Camara and after initially appearing to have struck an agreement, the Ligue 1 side pulled out of the deal and opted to keep him. Now it appears Liverpool are preparing a move to sign Kone from under Chelsea’s noses.
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Italian outlet Tuttomercato has claimed Liverpool have “made an enquiry” about the World Cup star’s services. Liverpool have asked about the Frenchman and could make a more ‘determined’ move in the coming months.
After Roma turned down Chelsea’s offer, it’s now reported Liverpool intend on competing with the west Londoners in a bid to sign him in January. Liverpool did not strengthen their midfield this summer, opting to prioritise their forward line.
They sold Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic, but instead of filling in the holes they left behind, they signed Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola, while also adding central defender Ronald Araujo.
When asked about Kone’s future following the end of the transfer window, Roma sporting director Tony D’Amico said: “I said it would be difficult for us to deprive ourselves of important players so near to the end of the transfer session, and that proved to be the case. Kone is an important player; we’re happy that he remained with us.”
Liverpool have endured a patchy beginning to the 2026/27 campaign. They find themselves in seventh spot in the Premier League standings, managing just one victory from their opening four fixtures.
The Reds have avoided defeat though, sharing the points in their remaining three outings. In the Champions League, Andoni Iraola’s men got off to a flying start in the league phase, overcoming Atletico Madrid 2-1 last week.
They were unable to maintain that momentum though, settling for a 0-0 stalemate at home to Fulham on Saturday. While the Reds carved out some opportunities, they failed to fashion enough clear-cut openings and had to settle for a single point at Anfield.
“I think what was lacking was quite clear,” Iraola said post-match. “I think it’s the first game since I’m here that we’ve had problems to create chances to score goals, to make the difference offensively.
“That’s the main reason that we couldn’t create as many chances as we wanted. We haven’t scored a goal and that’s why we go with just one point.”