Liverpool and Manchester City are reportedly interested in Samuel Chukwueze and are eyeing a summer move to bring the Villarreal star over to the Premier League.
If the report from Spanish publication Marca is to be believed, there is genuine Premier League interest in Samuel Chukwueze. The Villarreal whiz has been impressing onlookers with his performances in La Liga this season and is said to be drawing interest from Premier League duo Liverpool and Manchester City.
The report states that Chukwueze has a release clause embedded in his Villarreal contract, which currently stands at €60 million. Marca add that the La Liga club is not interested in negotiating the 19-year-old’s sale. But, they will find it hard to resist if the suitor(s) were to offer anything close to the buyout clause.
Samuel Chukwueze has been a revelation since joining Villarreal from Diamond Academy in 2017. The player made his breakthrough in the 2018-19 campaign, which has turned out to be a breakout campaign, of sorts, for the youngster, who has been one of the regulars for Villarreal, with a modest return of 8 goals and 3 assists this season.
Part of the World Cup-winning Under-17 Nigerian squad that was hailed as the golden generation for the African giants, Chukwueze has already made his senior debut for the Super Eagles. Despite his modest return, his performances have drawn interest from several clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester City.
Manchester City have an abundance of riches in attack. But, Pep Guardiola is looking to strengthen his squad to put up a more formidable challenge in all competitions. Also, Leroy Sane is yet to commit to a new deal while there has been some interest in his mega stars from clubs like Real Madrid.
Liverpool are in a similar predicament. Their attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane is already hailed as one of the best. Xherdan Shaqiri has proven to be an able option while Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge have put in their own respective shifts as well.
But, Jurgen Klopp is still intent on adding to his attacking arsenal in the summer. While the Reds have been linked with other wingers and attackers recently, Chukwueze at the age of 19 would be a long-term addition and could be moulded into being a replacement for any of their attacking trio, in case they end up leaving Liverpool at any time in the future.
Chukwueze though, has just one full season under his belt so far and Villarreal would love to retain the 19-year-old, at least for another season, if not more. Liverpool and Manchester City have huge transfer purses. But, the Premier League duo would throw some caution to the wind, especially with the 19-year-old yet to actually prove he can replicate his performances in multiple seasons.
While Chukwueze is showing all the signs of developing into a superstar, he isn’t worth splashing €60 million, especially with Liverpool and Manchester City already having able options in the 19-year-old’s playing position.
