Liverpool have made an approach to sign wantaway Chelsea talent Lewis Bate, according to the Blues correspondent for Goal, Nizaar Kinsella.
A switch to Anfield doesn’t completely appeal to Bate though it seems as Kinsella notes that the central midfielder would prefer a move that offers a quick route to first-team football rather than joining another top academy.
The Mail report that Bate has so far delayed signing a new deal with Chelsea as his current contract expires next summer, paving the way to interest from the Reds, West Ham, Leeds and Southampton.
18-year-old Bate stepped up to the Blues’ Under-23s side in the second-half of the 19/20 season in a campaign that also saw the ace named on the bench for senior top-flight and Champions League ties.
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Bate can feature as a traditional central midfielder or as a defensive midfielder, where he was mostly deployed this season.
The prospect, who has been with Chelsea since Under-9s level, has been capped for England at Under-17 and 18s level.
This would certainly be a coup for Liverpool if they could get it over the line but they’ll struggle to convince Bate to make the switch unless they can offer a clearer path to first-team football.