Liverpool are set to reignite their pursuit of Real Madrid prodigy Aurelien Tchouameni, following recent reports, after Los Blancos beat Jurgen Klopp's side to his signature last summer.
What's the latest on Aurelien Tchouameni's future?
According to a report from 90min, the Reds are interested in signing former target Tchouameni this summer even if a loan deal is the only possibility.
The industrious midfielder was of a vested interest to the club last season and vigorously pursued while he plied his trade for Monaco, before Carlo Ancelotti's Spanish giants secured his signature for €100m (£85m).
The defensive engine has not quite alighted La Liga as might have been hoped and with the thronged Madrid midfield only set to be more brimful with a seismic deal for Jude Bellingham edging towards completion, a short-term move could suit all parties.
Why should Liverpool sign Tchouameni?
With James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain all set to depart from Anfield upon the expiry of their contracts this summer, a score of transfer rumours have been flung across the transfer market like a fusillade of missiles this season.
The script might have been very different if Klopp and co had succeeded in their pursuit for Tchouameni last year, instead reluctant to make an unrehearsed swoop for another midfielder in the latter phases of the summer window and ultimately panicking and signing Arthur from Juventus on a one-year loan deal, a move which, to put it lightly, has not worked out.
Since signing for the Spanish giants, the 23-year-old has played 44 matches across all competitions and has registered four assists, though he is still yet to strike the back of the net himself.
The 22-cap France international, who scored against England in the World Cup quarter-finals, ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion and interceptions per 90, also among the top 11% for total shots and the top 16% for rate of assists per 90, as per FBref.
Hailed as "incredible" by Rio Ferdinand, the £212k-per-week machine could emulate Manchester City phenom Rodri's impact on the Premier League, perhaps closing the gulf between Klopp and Pep Guardiola's teams once more.
Tchouameni and the 26-year-old Spaniard are listed the most comparable players to each by FBref, and with the Cityzen gem comfortably inside the pantheon of contemporary holding midfielders after making 201 appearances for his side and winning the whole gamut of domestic honours under his sagely manager's wing, he's not a bad pro to attempt to emulate.
Indeed, Rodri, himself lauded as "incredible" by Gary Neville, ranks among the top 2% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 14% for total shots and the top 19% for rate of assists; with an interesting semblance between the pair, Klopp could indeed find the perfect midfield rock to rekindle the former verve on Merseyside.
It's worth noting that a loan deal for a midfielder who could swiftly cement his name as one of the first on the team sheet, not only fortifies the ranks but creates space to spend freely on further targets, offering the perfect formula for a resurgence back to silver-laden success.
