Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly part of a jostling pack of Premier League suitors keen on signing Brentford centre back Nathan Collins this summer.
The Republic of Ireland international is still only 24 but has already amassed more than £56 million ($75.8 million) in combined transfer fees throughout a busy career. Collins went from Stoke City to Burnley and then Wolverhampton Wanderers before arriving in west London two summers ago for what was then a club-record £23 million.
After enduring a ruinous outing against Wolves at the start of his Brentford career, Collins has gone from strength to strength. Former Bees boss Thomas Frank put this down to his improved concentration levels, while the Dane’s managerial replacement, Keith Andrews, thought highly enough of the towering defender to make him Brentford’s club captain this summer.
The rest of the Premier League have also taken note. Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all credited with admiration for Collins by the Daily Mail. Securing a deal for the Irish centre back may prove to be difficult given the number of departures the club have already suffered this summer, but interest in Collins is thought to be “surging.”
Of the trio, Liverpool are perhaps most in need of a new defender. Giovanni Leoni’s recent arrival from Parma has given Arne Slot some much-needed depth in a problem position, but the 18-year-old Italian can only boast half a season of Serie A football across his embryonic senior career. Collins, by comparison, made his 71st Premier League appearance on Sunday and could prove to be an able alternative if a deal for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi remains elusive.
Manchester United are yet to make a senior addition beyond their frontline this summer, leaving Ruben Amorim with the same players which recorded the 11th-worst Premier League defence last season. Tottenham conceded 11 more league goals than United, although they have already brought in two young defenders—Kōta Takai and Luka Vušković—this summer.
Brentford’s Andrews is naturally reluctant to lose his freshly appointed skipper. “He’s always been a natural leader,” the new manager gushed after Collins was given the armband in August, “he’s gained a lot of experience considering the age that he is, and he’s developed his professionalism to a new level because he’s been involved in this environment for a couple of years and has learnt from some great people.
“He communicates very well, he’s got really good values, on and off the pitch, and, naturally, players gravitate towards him—he has respect from all the players and staff, which is a key attribute to have.” That respect also extends to Brentford’s Premier League rivals.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Liverpool, Man Utd Battling for Surprise Premier League Defender.