Liverpool and Manchester City set for January battle over Swiss starlet

The Premier League giants could be active this January

November 15, 2022 at 2:19 pm GMT

Liverpool and Manchester City could be set to go head to head for Swiss starlet Noah Okafor after it emerged that he will be available for a move in January.

The RB Salzburg man, who is heading to the World Cup with Switzerland, has been in red-hot form in the Austrian top-flight so far this season, with seven goals and an assist in 14 outings, while he has also returned 3 goals in 6 games in the Champions League.

Capable on either flank, Okafor has stepped into the gap left by Karim Adeyemi, who joined Borussia Dortmund over the summer, and his talents have been rewarded with links to some of Europe’s elite clubs.

And, quizzed on the topic of the 22-year-old potentially leaving in January, RB Salzburg Sporting Director Christoph Freund admitted that he could leave after the World Cup.

“Okafor really took off last year”, he told Sky Germany. “I hope he plays a good World Cup, then the stock Noah Okafor can become very interesting. I don’t rule it [a winter move] out!”

Of course, Salzburg are no strangers to midseason sales, with Erling Haaland joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, while Takumi Minamino and Dominik Szoboszlai have also both made winter moves in the past.

Valued at 25m euros by transfermarkt, Sky Sports Germany report that both Manchester City and Liverpool have made enquiries as they look to bolster their respective frontlines, though a move could cost closer to 40m euros, and more yet if he has a particularly impressive World Cup.

European giants AC Milan, who Okafor netted against earlier this season, are also thought to be interested.