Liverpool favourites to sign €70million ace - personal talks held over marquee Anfield switch

Liverpool are in pole position to sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer while Real Madrid have made fresh contact.

The 22-year-old is a fantastic player and signing him would add more strength to Liverpool's midfield ranks.

Jurgen Klopp has rotated his attacking options with ease and to great effect since Luis Diaz joined from Porto.

The Colombian signed as part of a deal that could cost £50million.

He's already shown that he's worth the fee and with every passing game, Diaz improves. The 25-year-old is still learning English and also has incredible room for improvement.

His arrival means that Diogo Jota, who was at one stage the Premier League's second-highest goalscorer, has been relegated to a squad role while Sadio Mane has exploded into life in the false nine role.

Signing Aurelien Tchouameni would give Jurgen Klopp the same freedom to rotate and tweak things in midfield.

Naby Keita has been a tremendous option for the German coach since his fitness record improved while Thiago Alcantara is proving yet again why he is one of the very best of his generation.

Jordan Henderson hasn't had his best season, personally, in a Liverpool shirt yet his leadership, experience and selflessness have lent to a side that has already won two trophies this season and could still win another two to complete an unprecedented quadruple.

Then there's Fabinho, who is the key piece in midfield. Liverpool's style of play depends crucially on cleanly winning the ball high up the pitch to stop attacks before they begin.

Yet as we're now witnessing in the face of injury to the Brazilian, there isn't a readymade replacement available to Klopp. Hendo did a fine job in the FA Cup final in his absence but he's not the long-term solution to any future injuries or suspensions to Flacko.

It's important to understand that Fabinho is not a defensive midfielder in the way some others are. Liverpool's terrifyingly high line means he is not what you would expect from a classic 6.

Neither is Aurelien Tchouameni and that's why the Frenchman is perfect for Liverpool.

Signing the AS Monaco wonderkid would enable Klopp to sleep well even when Fabinho is unavailable. Another graduate of the principality, the Brazilian's absence threatens to expose Virgil van Dijk and whoever is partnered with him at the heart of defence.

Whether it's Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate or Joe Gomez alongside the Dutchman, Liverpool depend massively on protection from Fabinho and signing someone like Tchouameni to safeguard the future is a vital move from FSG.

They claimed that Real Madrid worry about signing Tchouameni and “would have a hard time convincing both AS Monaco and the player financially speaking.”

He also stated that last summer's €45million valuation “is no longer valid” and “a far higher offer will be needed to prise Tchouameni away” from Monaco.

That's more than Liverpool tend to pay for new signings but his age and potential make it a deal not out of the reach for FSG even with their conservative transfer approach.

Real Madrid stand to lose out if he does indeed have a move to England higher on his list of priorities while Manchester United, another domestic destination, are mathematically unable to qualify for the Champions League and so are not an option for the Frenchman.

He said: “I am contracted here until 2024 with the option until 2025. We’ll see what the future has in store for me. The transfer window is always a period where lots of things can happen."

Real Madrid are the front-runners, per Maynard, but Liverpool have the edge over their Champions League final opponents although I do wonder if the UEFA showpiece in Paris will have any effect on his decision-making.

It appears we have come full circle in terms of outlets reporting on the story as Foot Mercato and Santi Aouna have come out with another update on Tchouameni's summer prospects.

Los Blancos have made fresh contact with his representatives in a bid to beat Liverpool to his signature but it could be too little too late as the Anfield outfit are still on pole.