Manchester United and Liverpool have joined Tottenham in a transfer race to sign Brentford and Republic of Ireland defender Nathan Collins.
Collins, capped 30 times by his country to date, is wanted by all three Premier League clubs before the summer window closes on September 1.
The 24-year-old joined Brentford from Wolves in a £23m deal in 2023 and the Irishman has made a total of 78 appearances for the Bees so far.
United, Liverpool and Spurs are ‘all targeting a move’ for the Collins with interest in the Brentford captain ‘surging’, according to the Daily Mail.
The Red Devils have already signed Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford this summer and are hoping to convince Collins into a switch to Old Trafford.
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But United need to sell players before they can make an approach for Collins having already spent around £215m on new recruits this summer.
Spurs and Liverpool are also keen on Collins – with both clubs seeking defensive reinforcements in the current window.
Collins played under Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank at Brentford which could give them a potential advantage in the race for the Irish star.
Liverpool, though, may be tempting given they’re the Premier League champions and could arguably offer him the best chance of winning silverware this term.
It remains to be seen which club Collins would prefer to join – but he does have a family connection to Liverpool given his father was a player at the club from 1988 to 1992.
Collins may ultimately decide he wants to stay at Brentford, where he is currently working under the management of ex-Republic of Ireland international Keith Andrews.
It should also be noted that Brentford may well be highly reluctant to sell Collins, who is under contract at the Gtech Community Stadium until the summer of 2029, having signed a six-year deal in 2023.
Brentford have already lost key players this summer and could be set for a battle to keep their spot in the Premier League.
The west London club have no need to cash in on Collins given the length of his current contract.
Brentford boss Andrews is a huge fan of his Irish compatriot, having described him as a ‘natural leader’.
‘Nathan’s someone I’ve known since he was around 14 years of age, coaching some of the Ireland youth teams,’ Andrews said earlier this month.
‘He’s always been a natural leader, he’s gained a lot of experience considering the age that he is, and he’s developed his professionalism to a new level because he’s been involved in this environment for a couple of years and has learnt from some great people.
‘He communicates very well, he’s got really good values, on and off the pitch, and, naturally, players gravitate towards him – he has respect from all the players and staff, which is a key attribute to have.’
