Liverpool are reportedly monitoring Aston Villa midfielder Johan Manzambi, with reports in Switzerland and England linking the 21-year-old with a move to Anfield.
Swiss outlet 4-4-2.ch reports that the Reds' decision-makers have spoken positively about Manzambi in internal meetings. Sun Sport claim that the club view him as a potential replacement for Alexis Mac Allister.
Manzambi has made an excellent start to life at Villa and seemingly already has the Merseyside outfit monitoring his displays.
Liverpool Eyeing Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi
Manzambi has made an immediate impact after joining Villa. Following a knee injury at the World Cup, he made his Premier League debut as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on 12 September.
The Swiss midfielder scored and provided an assist for Nicolas Jackson on his first start, in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 19 September. He became just the second Villa player to score and assist on his first league start, after Kevin Phillips in 2005.
Manzambi also netted on his Champions League debut in Villa’s 6-0 win over Fenerbahce on 14 October, his 21st birthday, and won the penalty Ross Barkley converted.
He carried that form into the Premier League three days later, heading the winner in Villa’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle United to take his league tally to two goals for the season.
Manzambi is believed to have made the move to Villa Park in a deal worth £59.5m, including add-ons. He signed a contract which doesn't expire until 2031, meaning Liverpool have no room to try to negotiate a cut-price fee.
Mac Allister’s Contract and Liverpool’s Midfield
Mac Allister’s Liverpool contract runs until 2028. Speaking before Liverpool’s Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid in September, he told reporters that the club had informed his representatives it was “not in a position to offer me a new contract.”
He said he was pleased that Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch had both signed extensions, but disappointed not to have been offered one himself. He added that he could have left in the summer. He is still central to Andoni Iraola’s plans.
Mac Allister has been one of Liverpool’s first-choice midfielders this season, and Iraola told reporters after the press conference that the Argentine wants to stay at the club. That sits awkwardly with the idea that the Reds are already lining up a replacement.
