Liverpool should consider transfer hijack as $22m ace has 'agreement' to leave amid Arsenal interest

In the summer of 2022, Liverpool wanted Aurélien Tchouaméni but the Frenchman chose Real Madrid. A year later, the decision was taken to buy four midfielders rather than trying to sign Jude Bellingham, only then for a monster bid to be tabled for Moisés Caicedo.

It is clear that Liverpool has been looking for a game-changing midfielder for some time. And with no specialist number six among the squad that Arne Slot inherits this summer, that should not change. The question, really, is whether the right option is available.

After scouting players from the French top flight a couple of years back, Liverpool determined one specific player to be the answer to their aging midfield department. In Tchouaméni of AS Monaco, the Reds had correctly identified a future star.

READ MORE: Liverpool just got Champions League reminder with Jurgen Klopp watching as Arne Slot faces two tasks
READ MORE: 'I played for Liverpool and am friends with Arne Slot - he's the perfect Jurgen Klopp successor'

In looking for a Tchouaméni substitute in holding midfield, though, Liverpool should consider returning to Monaco and targeting his former partner, Youssouf Fofana, who appears to be shining without his former teammate.

Now aged 25, the Ligue 1 midfielder meets Liverpool's typical age criteria and his weekly wage at Monaco is low in comparison to those tied down at Anfield, which opens up the prospect of a deal materializing.

Fofana is looking for a way out and Arsenal and Manchester United, according to Goal, are among those considering a move for him. With only a year left on his contract, he could move this summer for as little as $22m (£17m/€20m).

"I have spoken about (leaving) with the (Monaco) hierarchy; it isn’t a secret," Fofana told a press conference ahead of the summer's European Championship in Germany, via the Evening Standard. "We had exchanges and they agreed to accompany me in this new stage.

"If [a move] doesn’t happen, I still have a year left and I will be happy to stay. We were in agreement that we would accompany each other in this process in which everyone should be a winner, be it me or the club."

Paul Mitchell, who is Monaco's sporting director and has been tipped for a prominent job in England in recent years, previously acting as a chief scout for Spurs and RB Leipzig, is a big fan of Fofana too.

"Tchouaméni was rightly recognized for some really big and important performances with us," he said, via GFFN. "Maybe the shadow was cast too much over the quality of Youssouf's performances."

While Fofana isn't quite as much of an outlier as Tchouaméni in terms of the numbers, his profile appears interesting and could suit Slot's intense brand of football. Considering Liverpool's need for a number six and the very modest price tag, he could be an option worth considering.

An original version of this story was first published on 24 September 2022. It has since been updated.