Liverpool are the latest club to be linked with Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni, who made his debut for France last month.
According to The Express, the Reds are prepared to join Chelsea, Manchester United and Juventus in the race to sign the highly-rated midfielder.
Despite their unbeaten start to the season, which puts them second in the Premier League table, Liverpool are aware of the importance of planning for the future.
James Milner and Jordan Henderson are heading towards the end of their careers, while Naby Keita and Thiago have been inconsistent since moving to Anfield.
Keita has yet to enjoy a prolonged run in the starting line-up but has been much more heavily involved this term and impressed in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Watford.
Jurgen Klopp has looked to rotate to keep his players fresh, with Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also featuring in midfield.
But Tchouameni is seen as a potential star, who could become a fixture of Liverpool’s team over the next decade.
The 21-year-old is best deployed in a holding role, where he uses his positional awareness, strength, stamina and tackling to snuff out opposition attacks.
A sharp passer of the ball, with great close control in tight areas, he’s more than capable of helping his side progress up the field too.
Tchouameni came through the ranks at Bordeaux, first representing the senior team against FK Ventspils in Europa League qualifying in July 2018.
Just 18 months later he moved to Monaco and was outstanding as they finished third in Ligue Un last season, narrowly behind Paris Saint-Germain and surprise champions Lille.
He missed out on a place in Didier Deschamps squad for the Euros but has won five caps since then, helping France to win the Nations League.
