Maghnes Akliouche wanted by Liverpool

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Liverpool’s attacking rebuild this summer is becoming one of the most closely watched transfer stories in Europe, and the latest name to emerge from their shortlist is one that has been on the radar of the continent’s biggest clubs for the better part of two years.According to a report from L’Equipe, cited by Get French Football News, Liverpool are considering a move for AS Monaco forward Maghnes Akliouche, with the Merseyside club prepared to table a bid of around €50 million for the 24-year-old France international.The need for attacking reinforcement at Anfield has never been more obvious.Mohamed Salah is leaving this summer after nine years.Cody Gakpo, who managed just six touches in the first half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, has been one of the most visible symbols of Liverpool’s attacking deficiencies this season.The Reds scored 86 league goals last campaign and are on course for significantly fewer this time around.Something, or someone, needs to change.Akliouche represents the kind of player who changes things.The Frenchman, born in Paris in 2001, came through the Monaco academy and has developed steadily into one of Ligue 1’s most technically accomplished attacking players.He operates primarily on the right side of attack but drifts with intelligence — finding central pockets, linking midfield to forward line, and creating overloads through quick combinations rather than pure pace.It is the measured, spatially aware quality of his game that separates him from a conventional winger, and it is precisely that subtlety that has drawn admiration from Liverpool’s recruitment team.His numbers this season underline the progress.He has been a consistent and creative presence in Monaco’s attack across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, recording contributions in both goals and assists while functioning as one of the principal architects of Monaco’s attacking play.He ranks highly among Ligue 1 forwards for chances created and has demonstrated the ability to perform in European competition too, featuring in Monaco’s Champions League campaign this season.In the French national setup, he has earned senior recognition — a reflection of how far he has come since breaking through at the Stade Louis II.His transfer saga is not new.Last summer, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur both registered serious interest, but Monaco’s asking price — reported at €70 million — deterred most suitors.Akliouche himself was said to be opposed to a move to Spurs, and ultimately remained in the Principality, a decision that looks increasingly smart in hindsight given how his reputation has continued to grow.Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning French champions and one of Europe’s wealthiest clubs, have maintained long-standing admiration for him and retain a strong interest heading into this window.That is the competitive landscape Liverpool now enter.Monaco, according to the report, are now prepared to sanction a sale this summer after holding firm previously, a shift in position that suggests the club themselves sense the moment has arrived for Akliouche to take the next step.Liverpool’s hope is that a bid around €50 million, a significant discount on Monaco’s previous valuation, could open meaningful negotiations, though whether the Principality club will accept that figure given the level of interest from PSG and others remains an open question.For Liverpool, the attraction is clear.Akliouche can operate on the right — Salah’s territory — while also offering the flexibility to drift centrally or play off a striker.He is 24, already established at international level, and has the technical profile to thrive in a high-tempo, pressing system.He is not a like-for-like Salah replacement — no one is — but he is a player capable of bringing genuine unpredictability to an attack that has been desperately short of it this season.Monaco built him.Liverpool want to take him to the next level.