As revealed on Sky Sports on Wednesday afternoon, Liverpool have ‘made an initial approach’ with a view to potentially signing a French forward.
The Reds have been strongly linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola in recent weeks, with reports that Anfield chiefs are preparing an opening offer of £85m for the 23-year-old.
There have also been whispers of a potential swoop for Michael Olise, although it’s neither of those who’ve been the subject of an enquiry from Merseyside.
Just after 3pm on Wednesday, Lyall Thomas reported for Sky Sports News that Liverpool ‘have made an initial approach’ to AS Monaco for winger Maghnes Akliouche.
The Merseysiders ‘are understood to have checked on the potential availability’ of the 24-year-old, who’s also a ‘prime target’ for PSG.
The Champions League holders are understood to have ‘made several offers’ for the France international, the most recent of which is claimed to be around £34m, but his current club have rejected all of those bids thus far.
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While Barcola seemingly remains the primary top-shelf target, Akliouche – who scored one goal and set up another in front of Liverpool scouts in Monaco’s 3-1 win over PSG in March – could arguably be a better fit for what Andoni Iraola’s squad currently need.
Whereas the former plays primarily as a left winger, the latter has mostly lined out on the right flank, which is where the Reds have a huge vacancy to fill now that Mo Salah has departed.
The 24-year-old is also capable of being deployed in several other attacking positions, although a return of just 23 goals and 28 assists in 139 senior appearances indicates that there’s room for improvement with his all-important output in the final third.
In May, CaughtOffside reporter Mark Brus hinted that Monaco could be prepared to do business for around €60m-€70m (£51.2m-£59.7m), which’d suggest that PSG’s offers up to now have been somewhat derisory.
We await to see how the principality club respond to Liverpool’s reported approach for Akliouche, who mightn’t quite have as glittering a CV as Barcola but could be a more readily attainable alternative, given the price disparity between the two French forwards.
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