Liverpool are set to battle Everton for Preston’s 19-year-old defender Josh Earl, according to The Sun.
The newspaper claim that the Reds believe Earl could help solve their long term problems at left-back, despite the club signing Andy Robertson in the summer.
The Sun report that Everton are also interested in the defender as a long-term replacement for Leighton Baines, and Steve Walsh watched Earl play against Brentford in November.
Earl, who stands at 6ft 5in just like new £75million Liverpool arrival Virgil van Dijk, has made 12 appearances for Preston in the Championship, and despite Premier League interest, extended his contract earlier this year.
The left-back’s new deal sees him set to stay with Preston until 2020.
Good move for Liverpool?
The 19-year-old is definitely one to watch and would be an asset to the club in the future.
Also it would be a good move for the Reds to line-up a potential long-term solution for their left-back woes, but they should be aware that the defender has already had serious injury problems.
Earl has had issues with his knee ligaments this season, and continues to do so.
Liverpool should probably wait on making to move to see how he recovers from the injury, and whether it goes to effect him in the long-term.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
Liverpool’s interest in the defender seems likely, as they want to ensure they have plenty of depth at left-back.
Last season, James Milner became a make-shift left-back and while he did a solid job, the Reds are looking to be regular title contenders and make-shift players don’t do the job.
The Reds may miss out on Earl as he may opt to stay with Preston, who he has signed a long-term deal with.
The Championship club are currently pushing for the play-off position, so Earl could find himself with Premier League football and a better chance of playing regularly if he stays where he is.
This Is Futbol rating: 5/10