Liverpool Enter Hunt to Sign Porto Defender Targeted by Manchester United

Liverpool are reported to have entered the race to sign Porto defender Eder Militao, with the 20-year-old widely thought to be in the cross hairs of Manchester

Liverpool are reported to have entered the race to sign Porto defender Eder Militao, with the 20-year-old widely thought to be in the cross hairs of Manchester United. 

United's hunt for a new centre-back has been one of football's worst-kept secrets of late, with former manager Jose Mourinho publicly calling out the board for their failure to sign one in the summer, and they have since been linked with a number of potential new arrivals in the position - one of the more recent examples of that being Militao.

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They were already expected to have vast competition for his signature, with Manchester City, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund all credited with an interest, but competition looks as if it may have stiffened up further, as The Mirror report that Liverpool have designs on the Brazilian.

Having signed a new deal until 2023 in the summer, the centre-back has a reported release clause of around £42.5m, and the Portuguese champions are thought to be scrambling to renew his terms once again in order to raise that clause further, in recognition of his rise in value over the last few months.

As it stands, however, Liverpool and United are among the front-runners to trigger his existing clause, with the Reds seemingly looking to add further depth to an impressive defence that is currently ravaged with injuries.

The return of Trent Alexander-Arnold for the win over Newcastle offered some much needed respite, but Joe Gomez and Joel Matip remain injured, leaving Liverpool with just two fit centre-backs.

Given Militao has covered at right-back and in a defensive midfield role, as well as his primary position in the heart of the defence, he would offer a versatile option in three positions for the Premier League leaders.

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In United's case, caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has landed on the pairing of Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones as his first choice duo at the back, so Militao would be looking to unseat one of those two should he arrive in January.