Valencia will reportedly open contract talks with United States midfielder Yunus Musah to fend off reported interest from both Liverpool and Chelsea.
The former Arsenal scholar, who was born in New York before moving to Italy and later England, impressed at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar as he helped Gregg Berhalter's side progress to the last 16 of the tournament, where they were defeated by the Netherlands.
Musah, who predominantly plays in central midfield, joined the La Liga giants in 2019 after turning down a new contract at the Emirates and has excelled on the east coast of Spain despite Los Che's struggles domestically. Since making his debut in 2020 after a season with the reserve side in Spain's Segunda division, the 20-year-old has since boasted his athletic and dominant skill-set under the tutelage of manager Gennaro Gattuso.
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However, 90min are reporting that after his recent progression and eye-catching performances in the Middle East this month, Valencia want to reward Musah with a new long-term contract at the Mestalla. Musah's current deal runs until 2026 and contains a release clause of €100m.
The youngster particularly impressed during the United States' 0-0 draw with England at the World Cup finals in November, where he lined up alongside Weston McKennie and captain Tyler Adams.
Liverpool, along with former club Arsenal and Chelsea, are said to be interested in Munsah, with Jurgen Klopp's need for reinforcements in the midfield department an open secret. Naby Keita's, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's and James Milner's deals on Merseyside are all set to expire on July 1 and, at the time of writing, there appears to be little advancement on potential extensions for any of the trio. Furthermore, Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson will turn 32 and 33 in 2023, respectively.
As well as rumoured interest in Munsah, the Reds are expected to be at the front of the queue when Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham decides to depart the Signal Iduna Park, despite interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the England international.
Earlier this week, reports from Spain claimed that Los Blancos would not risk their economic stability to secure the services of the 19-year-old former Birmingham City scholar due to ongoing renovation work at their Santiago Bernabeu home, which is now expected to exceed the €1bn mark ahead of its opening in 2023.
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