Liverpool face stiff competition to sign Feyenoord’s new Vieira
Published:Liverpool are enjoying a stellar season so far, and it’s one that could end up with quite the coup should they manage to land their latest transfer target this summer.
Their 3-0 win over Southampton left them in second place in the Premier League, just four points of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea and 9/2 shots to win the Premier League for the first time since the 1992 rebranding.
But they aren’t just in the pursuit for silverware, as they find themselves locked in a tussle with Manchester City for the man dubbed the next Patrick Vieira.
Rodney Kongolo is a 16-year-old centre midfielder playing for Feyenoord’s youth teams. He has an older brother, Terence, who plays in the heart of the Dutch club’s first-team defence and was born in the Democratic of Congo.
Naturally, with a player touted to be the next big thing on their books, the Eredivisie side are desperate to keep the youngster and are thought to have offered three separate contract offers to Kongolo, with the player rejecting all three.
That’s because Liverpool and City are both interested in him and, while it was previously understood that Vieira’s own presence at the Citizens gave them the upper hand, Liverpool are convinced that their superior record for promoting youth gives them an edge.
Players like Raheem Sterling and Jon Flanagan have both been given ample opportunities by Brendan Rodgers in the first team this season and should Kongolo sign for the Anfield club it wouldn’t be too long before he makes a senior start should he impress.
With Steven Gerrard playing a more reserved, deep-lying role, it’s left Jordan Henderson as the man tasked with breaking forward from midfield.
The Reds don’t have another player in that mould though and landing Kongolo could be the perfect opportunity to shape an understudy to the young Englishman.
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