Everton out of the running as Liverpool and Man City line up to sign Bundesliga free agent

Sead Kolasinac: Big clubs circling as contract runs down

In November, German magazine SportBild covered the future of Schalke’s Sead Kolasinac, and listed some clubs interested in signing the left back.

Ronald Koeman’s Everton were on the list, as were Stoke City. Since then, good battling form from Kolasinac has seen interest rise. This week’s edition of SportBild explains that Liverpool and Manchester City both want to sign the player, along with AS Roma of Serie A.

Kolasinac’s good form perhaps makes Liverpool links inevitable as they’ve been credited with interest before. With Jurgen Klopp having a good knowledge of the Bundesliga, it makes sense.

At the beginning of November, German newspaper Bild claimed Liverpool are ‘hot’ to sign Kolasinac, and it was suggested a Joel Matip type move could be on the cards.

Manchester City were also linked in November and SportBild claimed Pep Guardiola’s club had been scouting the player for five weeks. Guardiola will be well aware of Kolasinac’s abilities and if Manchester City have continued scouting, the reports going back for recent games will be promising.

Kolasinac’s contract expires in the summer so he can negotiate and agree a free transfer from January onward. Schalke dearly want to keep their player, but perhaps they should have made sure they got him to renew before he hit his best form.

 

Battling displays from Kolasinac have been one of the reasons behind Schalke turning their season around.

SportBild compare his commitment to that of former Belgium manager Marc Wilmots, who had two spells playing for the club.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international is 23 years old, left footed, and as well as playing left back he can also be deployed as a central defender.

Sead Kolasinac may have edged out of Everton’s range now, as clubs battling higher in the table edge in. With interest from huge clubs building, it can’t be ruled out one will try and get ahead of the rest by offering a transfer fee for a winter move, rather than seeing Schalke left with nothing.