Manchester United compete with Liverpool for Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro | OneFootball

Manchester United and Liverpool look set to go head-to-head for Brighton and Hove Albion star Joao Pedro.

The Red Devils have changed their attacking set up in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation.

This means that they need attackers who can fit in as number 10s rather than out-and-out wide men of a 4-2-3-1 that the club had been playing for numerous years.

Amorim is currently assessing his different options in the squad but it looks clear that he will most likely need to dip into the summer transfer market to address some of these issues.

According to Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte, one player that United have interest in is Premier League star Joao Pedro.

It is reported that Liverpool are the club who have begun “exploratory” talks with the Brazilian but they may need to act fast, as they face competition from their eternal rivals, Manchester United, for the player’s signature.

The outlet asserts that “Liverpool should speed up the negotiations, since Manchester United are also interested in signing the young striker.”

The 23 year old has been a long-term target of United with both former manager Erik ten Hag and former sporting director Dan Ashworth being big fans of the player.

Despite the departures of both men, the club’s interest in the player is believed to still exist.

“The two powerful English clubs have a positive opinion of João Pedro, largely due to the impact the player usually has against strong opponents, as happened last month, when he scored one of the two goals in the 2-1 victory over Manchester City.”

Pedro is protected by a contract until June 2028, so is unlikely to come cheap for either of the North-West rivals.

The 23 year old has scored four goals and provided three assists in 9 Premier League matches this season after an incredibly productive 2023/2024 season where he banged in 20 goals in all competitions for the Seagulls.

Featured image Mike Hewitt via Getty Images

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