Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are battling over a deal to sign highly rated German international centre-back Nnamdi Collins from Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Fussball News.
Collins spent most of his formative years in Germany, starting his football journey with Fortuna Düsseldorf.
He joined the Borussia Dortmund academy at 12 in 2016 and rose through the ranks at every level, including the U15, U17, and most notably the U19, where he won the 2022 German U19 Bundesliga title.
While he trained with the first team several times and even featured in preseason, Collins never made an official debut for the club and was soon signed by Frankfurt as part of their renowned youth-driven recruitment strategy under former director Markus Krösche.
Since his arrival in the summer of 2023, Collins has established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best young centre-backs, making 69 appearances. He has also consistently been a part of all German age-grade teams, including the senior side, where he earned one cap under former head coach Julian Nagelsmann in August 2025.
Such consistency for both club and country will undoubtedly draw keen interest, with Fussball News reporting that Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool are showing serious interest in signing Collins from Frankfurt.
‘Fantastic’ centre-back
The report adds that the Premier League trio have placed the 6ft 2in centre-back on their radar and are now closely monitoring him ahead of a potential swoop.
However, amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and United, Frankfurt have ruled out Collins’ departure in January and will only consider offers starting from £29m to sanction any future sale amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and United, according to the report.
Collins, described as ‘fantastic’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, averages 3.54 recoveries and duels won per game this season, making him a good option for the English trio.
For Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk, whose contract will expire in the summer, faces an uncertain future at Anfield, and a move for a new defender could be heightened if he departs the club.
Chelsea’s defence have been leaky this season, but the problem seems to be a lack of structure and balance rather than a lack of personnel.
On the other hand, United would be a good fit for the youngster, especially with Lisandro Martinez also being tipped for a departure following his recent outburst and inconsistent performance.
United should therefore look to beat their rivals to Collins’ signature, as the defender would provide an immediate solution to their defensive problems while also representing a promising investment for the future.
