Signing €75M Leipzig sensation would transform Liverpool's frontline - Reds previously backed to sign him

Liverpool face off against RB Leipzig in the third game of their pre-season tour as they travel to Germany.

The Reds have a good relationship with the club having secured the services of Ibrahima Koante and Naby Keita in recent years.

With the two sides meeting, we thought it would be a perfect chance to analyse one of their star players and whether he too could someday make the move.

Christopher Nkunku was their player of the season last year and has been linked with a move to Premier League as a result; but how would he fit in at Liverpool?

Style of play - how would it suit Liverpool?

With his athletic build and burst of pace, Nkunku would very much be in the mould of a Sadio Mane-type figure.

A player with great skill and pace, an eye for a goal and an approach that is very direct in front of goal sounds very much like a Liverpool player.

In fact, his versatility across the whole front line would be a key strength. He would be able to slot in as a central forward as Mane did last year to great aplomb.

According to 90Min, he is valued at €75M which is likely a fair price. Liverpool were backed by Joe Thomlinson to sign the French star earlier this year.

When comparing Mane to Nkunku on Squawka, he showed all the elements of a Klopp attacker - especially defensively with Nkunku offering 3.4 recoveries per 90 (0.1 off Mane)

He boasted more goals and assists per 90, more chances created, better crossing accuracy, better take-on success and more aerial duels won over the course of last season.

In terms of their heat-maps, Nkunku spent fractionally more time in the box despite Mane playing the second half of the season as a central forward. They both had a tendency to drift out on the left wing which is a position they both feel comfortable in.

2021/22 season was his best so far

There's no doubt that the 2021/22 season was Nkunku's best season thus far. He helped Leipzig reach the Europa League semi-finals, finish fourth place and win the DFB-Pokal.

On a personal level, Nkunku hit heights that he hasn't hit before with 52 goal contributions in 50 games.

This was topped off with 20 goals and 15 assists in the Bundesliga - as the Frenchman broke into the national team and won major individuals such as Bundesliga player of the year.

A highlight from the season was his hat-trick in the 6-3 loss to Manchester City, which showcased the best of his abilities.

The first goal was an instinctive header after Nordi Mukiele had headed the ball from short range into his path in the box.

The second was another brilliant header, this time finding space just outside the six-yard box to head home clinically past Ederson.

But the final goal was a true moment of class; following neat play from Yussuf Poulsen, the Danish forward played in Nkunku in the box who fired powerfully past Ederson to confirm his hat-trick on the big stage.

A defining moment for the Frenchman and his career.