Liverpool have reportedly tabled a £14.9 million bid to Olympique Lyonnais in order to secure the services of Argentine defender Emanuel Mammana.
According to an exclusive The Sport Review report, Liverpool have stepped up their interest in Olympique Lyonnais defender Emanuel Mammana. The Reds have tabled a £14.9 million bid for the Argentine as Jurgen Klopp continues to scour for additions to the defence ahead of his second full season in charge at Anfield.
Emanuel Mammana is a product of the fabled River Plate academy setup back in Argentina and the defender managed to break through into the club’s first-team setup before being snapped up by Olympique Lyonnais in the summer of 2016.
And in his maiden season in Europe, the Argentine has impressed with his calmness at the back and ability on the ball. The 21-year-old did miss a portion of the season with injury. However, he still managed to rack up 25 appearances to his name while also opening his account for the club.
#LFC have made a €17m (£14.9m) bid to sign defender Emanuel Mammana from Lyon. As cool as you like here. pic.twitter.com/Y4gUoyi4Dp
— Anfield Express (@AnfieldExpress) July 5, 2017
Mammana has only played at centre-back for Lyon. But, the 21-year-old possesses the ability to be deployed at right-back as well, something which may interest Klopp. The German manager is looking to add quality and depth to the entire squad, with defence being a priority.
At centre-back, the club has Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan as the only recognised options – Mamadou Sakho is touted to leave the club while Joe Gomez is at best a squad option currently. Mammana’s inclusion will surely provide more competition for places and the Argentine is sure to get game-time under Klopp.
Matip is considered as the only constant at the back and Mammana may just be able to dethrone Lovren off a place in the starting eleven with a few encouraging performances. At 21, the player will also serve as an addition for the long-term.
Liverpool have tabled the bid and are confident of landing the Lyon starlet after facing disappointment in their pursuit of Virgil Van Dijk. The Reds are ready to offer the Argentine a five-year contract worth £2.8 million a year with a basic wage of around £54,000 per-week.
Looking at what Emanuel Mammana could bring to #LFC.https://t.co/i3PkfCdjnj pic.twitter.com/8pfLTk9NRB
— Football Whispers (@FB_WHISPERS) July 6, 2017
It is interesting to note that Mammana had rejected interest from Arsenal and Tottenham when joining Lyon in the summer of 2016. And now, with a year under his belt, the player may take up the option of moving to a grander stage to showcase his abilities.
The player is already capped at senior level by Argentina and with the World Cup right around the corner, the 21-year-old would love to move to Anfield and make an impression with commendable performances – displays which could just see him make the cut in the World Cup Squad.
