European and Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona could reportedly make a move for Liverpool starlet Cameron Brannagan this summer after scouting the midfielder over the past few years.
Liverpool’s Cameron Brannagan is reportedly a transfer target for Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid, both of whom have sent their scouts on numerous occasions to watch the 20-year-old in action. The youngster has shown a lot of promise for the Reds when given first-team opportunities and has been performing well regularly for the club’s U21 outfit.
The Mirror’s Spanish correspondent Ed Malyon understands that Real Madrid executive Emilio Butragueno first spotted Brannagan in a UEFA Youth Cup encounter between Liverpool and Real Madrid in 2014 and has kept a watch on the player ever since. Meanwhile, Barcelona have been scouting the youngster for much longer than their bitter rivals, but financial constraints mean that they are unlikely to enter a bidding war with the capital club.
Salford-born Brannagan has also invited the interest of Manchester United in the past, but has continued to stay on at the club that he has been a part of since the age of five. Only seven months after signing an extension with the club, Liverpool look to offer their man another improved contract in a bid to ward off interest from the La Liga giants, with Malyon confirming that Los Blancos are considering a bid worth £5.5 million plus add-ons for the Englishman in a bid to bring him to the Spanish capital.
Cameron Brannagan is among Liverpool’s most promising academy prospects and given the sort of praise he has received for his first-team performances this season, the Reds will want to hold on to their man this summer. With superb technical ability, composure on the ball and set-piece proficiency, Brannagan has impressed on every opportunity he has got so far, even taking home Man of the Match honours in Liverpool’s final game of last season against West Brom.
Klopp himself has heaped praise on the midfielder, calling him an ‘unbelievable talent’ and insisting that he has a future at Anfield. Unlike Jordan Rossiter and Joao Carlos Teixeira, Brannagan looks to have a future at Liverpool and will need to weigh his options carefully amid interest from European heavyweights.
An important decision for a young player
It is difficult for any youngster at the age of 20 to be unaffected by possible interest from clubs of the status and pedigree of Barcelona and Real Madrid. With Brannagan making slow but steady progress at Anfield, the midfielder has to consider whether a move to a big club would benefit him at this point in time. He earned nine first-team appearances last season for the Reds and that tally is only bound to increase under Jurgen Klopp, who has handed out debuts to a number of academy prospects last season.
With a long pre-season lined up for the Reds starting next month, Brannagan will receive enough opportunities to work his way into Klopp’s first-team plans for the new season. And with a manager known for blooding youngsters in his squad, the 20-year-old could have more growth potential in the Liverpool side rather than a Barcelona or Real Madrid set-up.
The Spanish giants have enough quality all over the park and there is no promise of consistent game time, which is what the youngster should be targeting at this stage of his career. Moreover, with clubs lining up to sign the Reds’ superstar Philippe Coutinho, there’s every chance Brannagan could make that centre-attacking midfield spot his own in the near future.
