Liverpool are interested in Nottingham Forest defender Matthew Bondswell but RB Leipzig are in pole position to land him, according to Bild.
The German outlet report that Liverpool, along with both RB Leipzig and Manchester United, are targeting the 16-year-old.
The report suggests that should any club sign the defender, they would only have to pay a six-figure training compensation fee to secure the signing.
Bondswell is a highly-rated left-back who is known for his athleticism at the City Ground, he is a regular for the Forest Under-18 side and is also an England youth international.
It is understood that German RB Leipzig are the favourites to sign the Forest youngster due to the knowledge of former Southampton and Tottenham recruitment expert Paul Mitchell, who joined the German outfit in February as head of recruitment and development.
Good move for Liverpool?
It’s always difficult to rate a youngster’s potential when they are so young, but Bondswell really does look like he has all the natural attributes to become a top-quality left-back. Liverpool are not exactly stacked with brilliant left-backs, with Andrew Robertson the only player to really make that position his own. With the likes of Ben Woodburn, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez getting regular game time under Jurgen Klopp, he could be the next youngster to break through.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
Due to the compensation rules that are currently in place for young players in academies, Bondswell would be reportedly available for a six-figure fee, which would be spare change to a club like Liverpool. However they do face serious competition from RB Leipzig, who develop youngsters well themselves, so it will be up to the player to decide the best place for his development. Nottingham Forest can’t really do anything in this scenario, so there are not many obstacles in the way of this deal.
This is Futbol rating: 9/10