Talks in progress: Liverpool and Man United set for transfer battle over homegrown full-back

Liverpool and Manchester United could reportedly be set to go head-to-head in the race to sign a coveted teenage talent from the Football League.

Despite Arne Slot’s defensive options being lessened by the season-ending injury to Conor Bradley, David Ornstein reported earlier this week that the Reds don’t intend to enter the transfer market this month unless the right opportunity were to become attainable.

While it remains to be seen whether any first-team additions will be made during January, the Anfield hierarchy appear to be engaged in a battle to snap up a homegrown prospect for the future.

Liverpool and Man United in talks to sign Yisa Alao

According to Football Insider, Liverpool and Man United are both in talks to sign teenage Sheffield Wednesday defender Yisa Alao in the hope that they can persuade the Championship club to cash in on the 17-year-old this month.

The young left-back is described as one of the Hillsborough outfit’s ‘prize assets’, with the Owls currently in administration and seemingly destined for relegation to League One in 2026.

There’s been considerable Premier League interest in the prodigy for some time, and it had been feared in Yorkshire that the club could lose him on a free transfer earlier this season.

Alao impressed on his first senior start recently

Alao has made four senior appearances for Wednesday this term, getting his full first-team debut in last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Brentford (Transfermarkt).

His performance came in for praise from George Smith of The Star, who wrote that the 17-year-old ‘offered flashes of his capabilities’ and showed a ‘willingness to get on the ball’ and try and get his team up the pitch, along with a ‘strong awareness defensively’.

Obviously he’d still be some way off breaking into the Liverpool first team if the Reds were to snap him up him this year, but the magnitude of the two clubs who are vying to sign him attests to how high a ceiling he seems to have.

With Andy Robertson turning 32 in March and non-committal as to whether he’ll sign a new contract beyond his rapidly expiring current deal, the long-term succession planning at left-back already appears to be underway.

Slot needs readymade senior signings this month, for sure, but hopefully the Merseysiders can get one over on their arch-rivals in the race to sign the hugely precocious Alao.

You can watch Slot’s full pre-Burnley press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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