Manchester United are reportedly facing stiff competition from bitter rivals Liverpool in the race to sign David Carmo from SC Braga.
According to a report by Portuguese outlet A Bola, Liverpool have entered the race to sign David Carmo. The Premier League champions are set to battle Manchester United and Leicester City in pursuit of the 21-year-old centre-back, who has a €40 million release clause in his SC Braga contract.
David Carmo joined SC Braga aged 16 and made massive strides within the youth setup at the club before making grade in their first-team squad in 2019. However, it was not until the second half of the 2019/20 season that Carmo finally managed to establish himself as a regular for the Portuguese outfit.
This season, Carmo’s stock has risen further, with the 21-year-old missing just two games when available, although his campaign has also been hampered by a forgettable disciplinary issue. His progress, though, has caught the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, with Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool, in particular, showing an interest.
In fact, Manchester United have extensively scouted Carmo this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in search of a left-footed centre-back. Generally too, the keenness to bolster defence makes sense, with Victor Lindelof’s recent lingering back issue prompting a change in personnel, as Eric Bailly partnered captain Harry Maguire against Aston Villa.
Bailly, though, has been hampered by a spate of injuries over the course of his Manchester United spell, with Axel Tuanzebe also facing a similar ignominy. Therefore, it is understandable as to why Manchester United are in the market for a central defender, with Caglar Soyuncu also on their radar. Now, though, they face stiff competition from Liverpool in pursuit of Carmo.
Liverpool’s search for a centre-back has been an open secret ever since Joe Gomez joined Virgil van Dijk as a long-term absentee, with the duo set to miss the rest of the 2020/21 season. With Joel Matip also troubled by fitness issues over the past year or so, Jurgen Klopp is left with makeshift centre-back Fabinho, apart from youngsters Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams as the only options at his disposal.
So, while Liverpool are reportedly considering whether they should make a move for a centre-back in January, it will be a prudent decision if they reinforce central defence, having not replaced Dejan Lovren in the summer. To that end, Carmo is a viable target, with the Reds set to battle Manchester United in his pursuit.
Apart from Carmo, Liverpool also have Sven Botman in his sights, among others. Meanwhile, the Premier League champions and Manchester United will also have Leicester City as competition in the race to sign the Portuguese defender, who has a €40 million release clause in his SC Braga deal.
The report has not ascertained whether any of the three Premier League clubs will table an offer for Carmo in the January transfer window. And so, it will be interesting to see if Liverpool, Manchester United or Leicester do make a move for Carmo, and if Braga remain adamant on triggering the €40 million clause.
