Liverpool interest in French wonderkid midfielder 'real' and 'big': report

Liverpool are readying a bid for a French midfielder in the summer transfer window, with Jurgen Klopp eager to act quickly to rebuild a problem area of his squad in the 2022/23 season. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita are all expected to leave at the expiry of their contract, while Arthur Melo returns to Juventus at the end of his loan deal. 

Additionally, Thiago's injury issues has seen him involved in just a third of games this season, Fabinho's form has dropped in recent times, while Klopp doesn't seem to trust Jordan Henderson starting a game every three or four days. 

After ending their interest in Jude Bellingham, due to preferring multiple signings over one marquee arrival, Liverpool have started acting on midfielders on their shortlist.

According to German outlet Bild, Liverpool have already contact Borussia Monchengladbach over the availability of French midfielder Manu Kone, with the report suggesting the club's interest is "real" and "big".

Valued by the German side at just under £35 million, Kone is a 22-year-old box-to-box midfielder who is just as comfortable receiving the ball under pressure as he is at pressing opponents himself. While he has had a largely inconsistent campaign, with the club sat in mid-table in 10th, Kone has bags of potential that can be unlocked at Anfield.

A strong passer of the ball, Kone's contract with Borussia Monchengladbach still has two years remaining, with an option to extend for a further year. Bild suggests a sale could be likely, though, with Monchengladbach keen to raise funds so they can address problem areas of their squad to once again challenge for Europe. 

Any potential deal might be drawn out, though, considering Kone's selection in the France U21 squad for the upcoming Toulon Tournament and U21 European Championships, where they'll play Italy, Norway and Switzerland in the group stages.