Liverpool have one of the best midfields in world football but that doesn’t stop them from wanting to add to it.
And the latest player in that position to be strongly linked with a move to Anfield is AS Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni, who has attracted plenty of attention with his displays in Ligue 1.
The Reds currently have Fabinho, Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in that position, along with youngsters Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.
But there are likely to be one or two departures from that list this summer, and manager Jurgen Klopp is already eyeing up his replacements.
And now, Tchouameni looks as though he could be one of those through the door at Anfield this summer, so here is all you need to know about the Liverpool transfer target.
Would Aurelien Tchouameni be good enough to start in Liverpool’s midfield next season? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Who is Aurelien Tchouameni?
Aurelien Tchouameni is a midfielder who plays for Ligue 1 club AS Monaco and the French national team.
Tchouameni came through the youth ranks at fellow Ligue 1 club Bordeaux and made his first team debut in July 2018 in a UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round tie, before going on to make a further 18 appearances and scoring one goal during the 2018-19 season.
After impressing in the first half of the following season, in which he made a further 18 appearances in all competitions for Bordeaux, he moved to AS Monaco in January 2020 on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
He featured just three times for his new club for the remainder of that season but in 2020-21, he was a mainstay in Monaco’s side as they finished 3rd in Ligue 1, scoring three goals in 42 appearances.
As of this season, Tchouameni has already played 35 games and scored three goals for Monaco, while he made his international debut for France in September and has since totalled seven caps for his nation.
Style of play
Tchouameni’s performances from midfield last season saw him named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year, while he also won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award.
The 22-year-old had arrived at Monaco as one of Europe’s hottest young prospects but now he has seasoned into a fully-fledged France international, helping them to win the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals in November.
He has been mainly used as a central midfielder during his time at Monaco and has the ability to drop deep and win back possession, before helping to start attacks further up the field.
At 6ft 2in, he is a big presence in the middle of the pitch and uses his physical ability to glide through the opposition’s midfield, and this benefits him in both defensive and attacking aspects of his game.
And he has shown his versatility by comfortably slotting into a midfield two or three, playing in each for both club and country.
Chances of a move
If reports suggesting that Klopp has him as one of his primary transfer targets are true, then a move could very well be on given the stature of Liverpool as a club compared to Monaco.
The Ligue 1 side are currently sixth in the table and a player of Tchouameni’s quality should be playing Champions League football, which Monaco can’t guarantee him for next season.
And should he also want to be a part of France’s World Cup squad later this year, he may want to test himself at a higher level in order to impress.
Liverpool have strength in depth in midfield but Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain look as though they could be off in the summer, while the Reds will want to add strength to their squad to mount another title charge in 2022-23.
Tchouameni would be an excellent signing for the Reds and with Klopp, he could certainly develop his career and potential under a manager who knows how to get the very best out of his players.
