Liverpool and Man City scouts watch 22-year-old playmaker in Germany

Liverpool reportedly sent scouts to watch a highly-rated playmaker in Germany this week - but already faces competition from Manchester City.

The Reds are keeping their eye out for some of Europe's hottest talent ahead of upcoming transfer windows but it appears they have locked onto the same target as the Premier League champions, with officials from the Etihad Stadium outfit also said to be present in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday.

However, despite the game taking place in Germany, it wasn't a Bundesliga star both sides were keeping tabs on. According to TBR Football , it was 22-year-old Ukrainian midfielder Heorhiy Sudakov, who was featuring for Shakhtar Donetsk in its Champions League clash with Atalanta at the Veltins-Arena.

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The Ukrainian Premier League champions are required to play their home matches at neutral venues due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, hence the game taking place at the home of 2. Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04. Nonetheless, Liverpool took full advantage of the shorter journey by sending scouts to Wednesday's match.

Unfortunately for the Reds, Sudakov was unable to show his true potential in the fairly one-sided match, yet still managed 90 minutes in the 3-0 defeat to the Europa League holders. But it is his previous form that gained him attention from Liverpool and other European clubs.

Last season, Sudakov grabbed 10 goals and six assists in 34 games across all competitions, most notably helping Shakhtar achieve a league and cup double. He also notched against Barcelona in the Champions League group stage, before providing both assists in Ukraine's 2-1 victory over Iceland in the Euro 2024 play-offs.

At the tournament in Germany this summer, the attacking midfielder featured in all three of his nation's group stage fixtures against Romania, Slovakia and Belgium, and caught the eye with his impressive displays.

In the current campaign, Sudakov already has three goals and one assist in seven league fixtures, which includes strikes in his last two games, and notched for Ukraine in its Nations League defeat to the Czech Republic last month.

Now, he is attracting strong interest from some of European football's biggest clubs, including Liverpool, and could be on for a similar career path to that of fellow countryman and former Shakhtar star Mykhaylo Mudryk, who joined Chelsea in a mega money deal over 18 months ago.

The report from TBR Football adds that both Liverpool and Man City will continue to assess Sudakov and that the Ukrainian side will likely demand a similar fee to the $119million (£89m/€107m) that Chelsea paid for Mudryk in January 2023.