We’ve reached “conditional” and “backup plan” transfers for Premier League clubs, and it’s not even summer.
Adama Traore and Erling Haaland are the names that could change the fates of Jadon Sancho, Lucas Ocampos, and Ismaila Sarr come the end of the fall transfer window.
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Sarr, you’ll remember, helped Watford stun Liverpool and end the Reds’ dreams of an Invincibles-type season, and is helping the relegated Hornets drive back to the Premier League.
Is he coming back to the top flight, but in another uniform?
Adama Traore to Liverpool, Ocampos to Wolves
A story out of Spain says Liverpool has nearly sealed a deal to bring Wolves star Adama Traore to Anfield, opening the door to Nuno Espirito Santo purchasing a Sevilla star.
Traore would cost the Reds around $62 million, and Sevilla wants at least $20 million more than that for Lucas Ocampos.
The Argentine winger has a contract through the 2023-24 season and turns 27 this summer. The fee is massive considering Traore just turned 24 in January, though the muscular pace merchant is more a right-side provider and Ocampos a left-wing finisher.
Ocampos’ numbers are down this season, his second with Sevilla, with seven goals and four assists across all competitions. He scored 17 times last season and also has a 16-goal season with Marseille under his belt, having also played for AC Milan, Genoa, and AS Monaco after coming through the ranks at Boca Juniors in his home country.
Traore only has a goal and an assist this season as Wolves have struggled to finish chances, especially without Raul Jimenez, but he nabbed four goals and 12 assists in Wolves’ busy 2019-20 season. He’s also often linked with a return to Barcelona.
The Spanish report mentions that Ocampos might not fancy a move away from Sevilla to Wolves at any price, as the Premier League side is currently unlikely to place in a Europa League spot and Sevilla likely to return to the Champions League. Julen Lopetegui’s men are in fourth place, 10 points ahead of Real Sociedad and Real Betis with 10 matches left on the docket.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Jack O’Connell of Sheffield United tackles Adama Traore of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United at Molineux on December 01, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
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Sarr, Haaland to Manchester United
Manchester United wants to add a winger and as center forward to its attack this summer, and landing Erling Haaland would drastically change their priority out wide, according to The Daily Express.
A report from Gareth Bicknell says that Ole Gunnar Solskjar wants two Borussia Dortmund players, Haaland and Jadon Sancho, but prefers the former and would not have the funds to buy both.
Should United land Haaland, one of the world’s best scorers and the son of former Man City forward Alfe Inge Haaland, United would turn its attention to Watford’s Ismaila Sarr.
Saturday reports said United nearly paid more than $50 million for Sarr this summer after the Senegalese winger had some big nights in Watford’s 2019-20 relegation from the Premier League, scoring a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Manchester United and two goals and an assist when the Hornets ended Liverpool’s dreams of an unbeaten season.
The right winger can also play center forward and has nine goals and nine assists in 33 Championship matches this season.
Watford has promotion in focus this season, six points clear of third-place Swansea City and seven ahead of Brentford with one more match played than both automatic promotion rivals. Norwich CIty leads the way with 83 points, eight points clear of the Hornets.
Sarr’s price tag won’t be much lower than that $50 million fee if Watford heads back to the Premier League.
