Borussia Monchengladbach Really Want Liverpool to Buy Thorgan Hazard

It’s gone from the press linking the Reds to Gladbach’s sporting director linking the Reds.

This week, talk of Thorgan Hazard, aka Eden’s younger brother, being a player of interest for Liverpool have heated up in the German and Belgian press, pretty much at the same time as rumours of a Borussia Dortmund offer of around €42M for the 26-year-old.

We can be fairly certain, then, that Dortmund want him. We can also be fairly certain Hazard wants Dortmund. What do Borussia Monchengladbach want, though? Probably not to sell in-league, or to at least get Dortmund to pay more if they must.

Which has us thinking Liverpool being linked with a big money move for a player in the same age bracket as all members of the cub’s existing front three makes most sense if it’s really just Gladbach name dropping the Reds as a negotiation tactic.

And as if on queue, we’re now moving from rumours of Liverpool interest to Gladbach’s sporting director literally dropping Liverpool’s name to the press. Not in a way that explicitly says they’re interested. Just, you know, putting it out there. For reasons.

“Thorgan has informed us that he doesn’t want to extend his contract and that he wants to leave the club,” sporting director Max Eberl told Sky Germany today. “I’ve heard this statement 15 times in the last 10 years as really great players have left us.

“That’s the way it is for us. We’ll have to see where his path will continue. I don’t know whether it will be at BVB, who are constantly being mentioned, or at Atlético Madrid, Liverpool or another club.”

As was the case previously, about all we can be certain of is that Hazard is on the way out at Gladbach and that his current club will want to maximise their return for a player who has had a very solid return this season—albeit one boosted by taking penalties.

Hazard is good. Very good, even. He would arrive at Liverpool, though, a clear step behind Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané while being in the same age bracket. Which means that we remain skeptical that Liverpool are actually interested.

Liverpool do need to sign another attacker this summer, but it will ideally be one at least three years younger while being just as capable of slotting into any of the attacking roles. It would, ideally, be a player like Timo Werner.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of good reasons for Gladbach’s sporting director to just casually toss out Liverpool’s name—along with Atletico Madrid—when the only club we can be certain are after Thorgan Hazard right now is Dortmund.

Mostly to do with trying to make sure everyone knows he’s for sale for the right price in the hopes somebody other than Dortmund comes to the table to spark a bidding war or that Dortmund pays a higher price quickly to avoid that possibility.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com