Liverpool ‘keeping tabs’ on Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma

Liverpool are among a host of European giants keeping tabs on Kaoru Mitoma as Brighton & Hove Albion look to finalize a new deal for the Japan international before the turn of the year. 

According to 90 min, Manchester City, Barcelona and Napoli are also keen admirers of the 25-year-old whose contract expires in the summer of 2025. Brighton are aware of interest in Mitoma but remain confident the tricky winger will agree to fresh terms as they look to build on their sixth-place finish from the 2022/23 campaign.

Mitoma has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League under the tutelage of Roberto de Zerbi and has begun the 2023/24 campaign in fine form, notching a goal and three assists in four games so far.

The report also states that Brighton are ready to reward his progress with a new deal and are now advancing towards an agreement after initiating talks with Mitoma after the 2023 January transfer window.

Earlier this year, Brighton CEO Paul Barber admitted that the Seagulls are under no financial pressure to sell Mitoma amid interest from a handful of European giants. Speaking to The Beautiful Game podcast, he said: "Obviously he's [Mitoma] another player that will be in the spotlight in the next transfer window. We're ready for that and we understand that, we just hope he can have a great second half of the season.

"We're very fortunate from a financial point of view that we're not a club that has to sell players to survive."

Mitoma is undoubtedly someone Liverpool will have one eye on, but with Mohamed Salah entering the last two years of his current deal, the Reds will be better off targeting a player who can eventually succeed him on the right flank. The Egyptian maestro was strongly linked with a move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad this summer, but Liverpool refused to budge and indicated that he wasn't for sale.

However, if the Saudi giants return with an offer next summer, Liverpool could cash in on Salah as opposed to losing him for free in 2025.