Liverpool are reportedly battling with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur over a deal to sign Marco Palestra, as per TEAMtalk.
After letting Trent Alexander-Arnold leave last summer, the Reds bolstered the right-back position by purchasing Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen.
However, the Dutchman has displayed below-average performances in the Premier League this season, with fitness problems being one of the main reasons.
Apart from Frimpong, the Merseyside club also have Conor Bradley as the right-back option. However, he picked up a season-ending injury earlier this year.
As a result, Arne Slot has used Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones on the right side of the defence this season, although they are midfielders by trait.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that Liverpool are planning to sign a new RB in the summer and have identified Palestra as a serious option. They have been monitoring his development closely this season before making a potential swoop.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a promising campaign for Cagliari, on loan from Atalanta, this season, and La Dea have slapped a £39m price tag on his head.
Battle
However, purchasing the Italian won’t be straightforward for the Reds as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Tottenham have all been keeping a close eye on his development.
Moreover, Crystal Palace, AFC Bournemouth, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan, and Napoli are also interested in him. However, Atalanta don’t want to sell their star man to direct rivals.
Palestra has been playing as an RWB for Cagliari but is also efficient on the opposite side. Moreover, he can provide cover in the right-back position.
Having displayed impressive performances in Serie A, the youngster has secured his place in the Italian national team.
Man Utd already have Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot as options to deploy in the right-back position. So, they don’t need to invest more to add further depth to this position unless anyone leaves.
On the other hand, Tottenham are set to start a new rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi’s guidance. So, the Italian boss is seemingly planning to refresh the right-back position by purchasing his compatriot.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club, the Old Trafford club, or the Merseyside club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services this summer.
