Liverpool have commenced their plans for what promises to be a busy summer transfer window with Jurgen Klopp taking a secret trip to Monaco in a bid to sign Aurelien Tchouameni.
One major objective at Anfield will be to replace Sadio Mane, who has reportedly told his Liverpool teammates he is leaving the club this summer following on from their Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid. The Reds will be on the lookout for an attacker but also a new midfield as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been put up for sale ahead of the upcoming window.
Monaco star Tchouameni is at the top of the club's wanted list amid links with a move to both Anfield and Real Madrid. But Tchouameni, who had also been touted as a target for Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, is now on the brink of a switch to the European champions.
As per a report from Marca, Tchouameni is on the verge of joining Real for a £68million fee, which includes add-ons. Yet that only comes after the Reds made a concentrated attempt to secure his signature.
It is outlined how Liverpool boss Klopp made a special trip to Monaco in order to convince the Frenchman to move to Anfield, while he also held a phone call with the midfielder. However, Tchouameni could not be persuaded against the idea of joining Los Blancos.
Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has apparently confirmed the club will cash in on the midfielder this summer. Mitchell replied when asked about his future club: "I don't have a preference, to be honest! As always when you sell a player, there needs to be fair compensation. The market is different every year.
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"Everyone was able to see what a top player Aurelien is, but everyone also knows that we are an ambitious club with an ambitious shareholder. So no, I have no preference when it comes to selling him. We will have to be very aggressive in terms of the fee we demand to lose such an incredibly gifted player."
The Monaco midfielder said in a recent interview with CNN: "I like both: I can watch Spanish games and English games. It's different to play in Spain and it's different to play in England, but in the end, for me, it's just a matter of adaptation.
"I tried to find a lot of players who came here young and then have grown, and they'd be able to play in a bigger club at the end of their journey here in Monaco."
Tchouameni added: "It's funny. With my friends Benoit Badiashile and Djibril Sidibe, every morning they tell me 'Ah, you go to this club.' And the next day, it's another club. But it's good to be in this situation. It means I'm in a good position. I've worked hard to achieve this so that the best clubs want me.
"But in the end, it's just social media... the most important thing is to be good in training and in the next game. We'll see."
