We might never know how long it takes for clubs to agree a deal with a player, but it sounds like it can takes months or years at times.
It tends to be that stories will leak about disagreements over little things like clauses or the structure of the deal, but any delays will always give another club a chance to come in at the final moment.
In many ways that could suit the selling club, as it gives them some leverage to make extra money, and it could be the situation facing Lille over midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
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A report from Spanish outlet Sport has suggested that Liverpool have been negotiating with Lille over his signing for a while now, but an agreement hasn’t been reached.
As a result, Barcelona are now interested in signing him ahead of next season, so Liverpool could miss out if Barca get their act together and reach an agreement with the French side.
The French midfielder is a defensive style player and could provide the sitting presence that both teams are crying out for in midfield, while Lille have shown they are a selling club so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave this Summer.
The report does also suggest that Barca are interested in Toulouse midfielder Ibrahim Sagare. They do have some history with Toulouse with the signing of Jean Clair Todibo and they look destined for relegation, so that signing could be easier to pull off.
As for Liverpool, it sounds like they will be adding a midfielder for next season, it just remains to be seen if it’s Soumare.