With Liverpool in clear need of midfield incomings at the end of the campaign, there are a number of links that continue to stay in the limelight.
Kouadio ‘Manu’ Kone is one such name with one report also listing Khephren Thuram as two options the Reds are monitoring ahead of the summer transfer window.
“Meanwhile, Kouadio Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach and Khephren Thuram of Nice are still being monitored after Liverpool opted not to make a move in January,” Jacque Talbot reported for Football Transfers. “Sources in France anticipate Thuram leaving this summer window and the Ligue 1 side are not expecting to recoup a massive fee for him.”
Matheus Nunes and Jude Bellingham are understood to be the club’s top two targets, though it remains unclear whether the budget available will stretch to cover a third possible addition.
We may very well take comfort from the fact that the Nice star shouldn’t cost a fortune, especially whilst we’re keeping our eyes peeled for appropriate cover in the holding midfield role.
The worrying reality for Jurgen Klopp’s recruitment team is that it’s appearing increasingly clear that a midfield revamp alone won’t be enough to propel us back into the quadruple-hunting heights of 2021/22.
There are serious question marks over the backline with Joel Matip looking a likely candidate to be sold on in the summer whilst Joe Gomez has much to prove despite signing a long-term contract only last summer.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are the accepted first-choice centre-half pairing but there should be alarm at the general drop in quality behind the duo.
That’s perhaps a job for the following January window or the summer after that but it’s an area we can’t afford to ignore far beyond the end of the campaign.
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