Leeds United reportedly rivalled for cut-price Liverpool signing as likely squad decision revealed

The Whites have been named by Football Insider in recent days as one of the sides reported to hold an interest in the Polish youth international, along with Austrian Bundesliga club TSV Hartberg. Musiałowski has scored six times and recorded two assists in 11 outings for Liverpool’s U21s this season and is attracting interest with his contract at Anfield set to expire at the end of the season. Due to the player’s contractual circumstances, clubs seeking a transfer are likely to be able to agree a knockdown price on a permanent deal in the January window. Any transfer, this month or at the end of the season, would require the purchasing club to pay Liverpool a compensation fee for their role in training and developing the player, who joined the Reds’ academy in 2020. According to Merseyside sources, Hartberg retain a long-standing interest in the Poland U21 attacker and were rebuffed in their attempts to sign Musiałowski last summer. The Austrian club are currently fourth in the ÖFB Bundesliga but narrowly escaped relegation last term after finishing bottom of the 12-team league, before salvaging their top flight status in the end-of-season play-offs. A move to Elland Road is unlikely to manifest in Musiałowski joining up with Daniel Farke’s first team squad, but instead see the 20-year-old integrate with Scott Gardner’s U21 group, which has been without last season’s top scorer Mateo Joseph for much of the campaign due to senior matchday involvement. Leeds’ U21s have also parted ways with experienced midfield duo Darko Gyabi and Lewis Bate this month, both of whom secured loans to clubs in the Football League.