Aurelien Tchouameni had been identified as a potential summer transfer target for Liverpool after the club reviewed the makeup of their midfield department for the long term under Jurgen Klopp.
Tchouameni, who has impressed for Monaco this season, is widely regarded as one of the top young talents in Europe, with a number of clubs, including the Reds, queuing up for his signature. However, as reported by the ECHO last month, Liverpool still expect Real Madrid to win the race for the 22-year-old this summer.
But if Tchouameni was to make a move to Liverpool ahead of the 2022/23 season, what sort of impact could he have on Klopp's side? To find out, we simulated the 2022/23 season with the Frenchman in the Reds' squad and this is what happened.
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We 'signed' Aurelien Tchouameni for Liverpool ahead of the 2022/23 season
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for the French international to join Liverpool ahead of the start of the 2022/23 season, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is how Tchouameni's in-game profile looks on FM22.
The 22-year-old has all the physical attributes to succeed as a midfielder in the Premier League, his Natural Fitness (16), Stamina (16) and Strength (16) make him difficult to tackle with the ability to get up and down the pitch all game long. Tchouameni's mental and technical attributes make him a suitable midfielder for Klopp in his pressing system with brilliant Bravery (16), Work Rate (16), Anticipation (15), Tackling (16), Passing (14) and Heading (14).
The French international played a total of 39 times for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring seven goals and registering 13 assists in an impressive debut season. Klopp utilised Tchouameni in a central midfield role, rotating with Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho due to the Frenchman's versatility to play in a deeper midfield role.
The 22-year-old took the Premier League by storm, scoring six times and registering 12 assists in just 23 starts highlighting the talent and ability he already has. With an average rating of 7.41 in all competitions for the Reds, Tchouameni ranked as the fifth-best performer out of players that made over 20 appearances for the club, only behind Mohamed Salah (7.63), Sadio Mane (7.58), Luis Diaz (7.52) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.45).
The French midfielder showed his class with and without the ball by registering a pass completion rate and tackle success rate of 89% in all competitions. Tchouameni ranked second to Fabinho in terms of tackle success rate and matched Thiago and Fabinho's pass completion rate in his debut season at Anfield.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Liverpool XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what the Reds' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Liverpool best XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Fabinho, Tchouameni, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz.
Tchouameni came into the squad and featured in the Liverpool best XI ahead of club captain Jordan Henderson alongside Thiago and Fabinho in midfield. Ibrahima Konate replaced Joel Matip as the starting centre-back partner alongside Virgil van Dijk in defence, with Diaz featuring on the left of the attack as Mane moved more central.
So, how did Klopp's side perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Tchouameni ahead of the 2022/23 season? Lets take a look.
Liverpool's results from the 2022/23 simulation
Klopp's side finished at the top of the Premier League and were crowned champions at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. The Reds finished 10 points clear of rivals Man City, just one point shy of becoming centurions after winning 32 games and drawing three of their 38 league fixtures.
The Reds qualified for the Champions League comfortably and had an immense goal difference tally of +69, scoring 89 goals and only conceding 20 goals all season, as Klopp's team finished the season with the best attacking and defensive record in the top flight. In comparison to the 2021/22 season, Liverpool with Tchouameni in the squad finished one league position higher, with seven more points, highlighting the improvement in performance and results.
In the cup competitions, Liverpool added to their Premier League title with a second successive Carabao Cup trophy after a 3-1 win over Burnley but failed to complete the domestic treble after being beaten 1-0 by Man City in the FA Cup semi-final. In the Champions League, Liverpool did complete a famous treble after lifting the club's seventh Champions League trophy following a 2-0 win over City with Tchouameni scoring the second of the game after Mane's early opener.
Overall, if Aurelien Tchouameni were to sign for Liverpool ahead of the 2022/23 season, the French midfielder could have a significant impact on the performance of the Reds' squad, scoring in the Champions League final and being influential as the Frenchman registered 20 goal contributions in just 39 appearances in all competitions to help Liverpool complete a historic treble. Tchouameni could show his quality and ability in one of the best Liverpool sides in history, proving he belongs at the top level of club football and that he could contribute heavily to improving Klopp's squad even further.
Would you like to see Aurelien Tchouameni sign for Liverpool next season? Let us know in the comments!
