Premier League pair Liverpool and Brighton have both sent scouts to Germany to watch Raul Paula as they look to find future options for their midfields.
The Reds underwent significant midfield surgery over the summer, with ageing trio James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho all leaving the club for a combined £52m, while Thiago Alcantara is widely expected to follow in the coming transfer windows amid links to both Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Brighton picked up Milner, along with free agent Mahmoud Dahoud and young talent Carlos Baleba, but lost both Alexis Mac-Allister and Moises Caicedo to Jurgen Klopp’s side and Chelsea respectively, for a combined fee of over £150m.
Always eager to unearth more young gems for their conveyer belt of talent, the Seagulls have been keeping a close eye on Paula, who has appeared four times for Germany’s U18 side and currently plies his trade for Stuttgart’s second team.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season though, scoring six times and grabbing two assists in nine outings for his side, and the teenager could be available on the cheap with his contract due to expire in 12 months time.
Though yet to make his competitive debut for the Stuttgart first team, he has already scored for them in a friendly and his first team bow is not expected to be far away, though their current impressive Bundesliga form may delay his introduction somewhat.
Certainly one for the future rather than a ready-made option for either side, Raul Paula could be a name to keep an eye out for in the seasons to come, especially if he ends up in the Premier League.
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