Arsenal fear losing out to Manchester City in £70m race to sign Bundesliga ace amid Liverpool interest: Reports
Arsenal are worried about losing out to Manchester City, who could win the race to sign Liverpool target Hugo Larsson for £70 million (via The Hard Tackle). The 20-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder has been a regular in the Bundesliga this season, playing 14 games and scoring two goals. His quality has shone in the Europa League as well, where he has scored twice in five games.
It is little surprise that big English clubs are gunning for the talented midfielder, who is widely recognized for his potential. He joined Frankfurt from Malmo in 2023 for €9 million, and after two years of impressing in Germany, he could be up for a big move.
Eintracht Frankfurt are not prepared to let him leave the Bundesliga on the cheap, valuing the Sweden international at £70 million. Clubs like Arsenal have been interested in Larsson over the past year. The Gunners have a couple of aging midfielders in their squad, and bringing in a young talent would enhance their options in the center of the park.
However, they are worried about Manchester City, who are in dire need of a deep-lying midfielder. The Cityzens are on the verge of failing to retain their Premier League title this season, as they endured poor performances after talisman Rodri fell to injury. Larsson could be an alternative to the Ballon d'Or winner, and help improve their performances.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have shown interest in the Swedish midfielder. With Wataru Endo's future at the club currently uncertain, the Reds will look for added depth in their midfield, and Larsson could be their go-to.
Arsenal and Liverpool on the verge of crashing out of Carabao Cup
Arsenal are on the verge of crashing out of the Carabao Cup, following their 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the first leg of the semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on January 7. The Gunners failed to be clinical, registering 23 shots, but putting only three on target.
Manager Mikel Arteta placed some of the blame on the Carabao Cup's Puma ball, arguing that it "flies a lot". He also noted that it was "very different" to the Premier League ball that his team were more adapted to playing with. However, Newcastle United, who also play in the Premier League, had no issues with scoring.
The situation is a bit similar for Liverpool, who lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in their own semi-final first leg at New White Hart Lane on January 8. However, the case was one of controversy, as goalscorer Lucas Bergvall should have picked up a second yellow card and gotten sent off a minute before he found the net (86').
He had tackled Kostas Tsimikas poorly, forcing the defender off the field for treatment, but the referee did not show the midfielder a second yellow card. Now, both Arsenal and Liverpool have to find ways to turn their respective scores around.
