What’s the story?
Liverpool are interested in signing AS Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko to strengthen their squad, according to French publication Le10Sport.
The 22-year-old defensive midfielder’s form has seen him attract interest from the top clubs in the Premier League. The list includes the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Last October, the player’s agent Michel Boli confirmed United’s interest while also revealing interest from other clubs, includes the likes of Juventus, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City.
"Juventus saw him play three times this summer. There's also interest from Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City," Boli explained.
In case you didn’t know...
Bakayoko has played for five youth teams in Paris before moving to Rennes. He was a part of their youth system and also spent time with their B team before being promoted to the first team.
In the summer of 2014, Monaco secured the services of the France Under-21 international for a reported fee of £6.8 million. Since making a switch to Stade Louis II, he has been one of the key players in the defensive position.
His style of play will see him being perfect to break up attacks and has the ability to move forward with his pace. He can be categorised as a more defensive version of United star Paul Pogba, without the flashy skills.
The heart of the matter
The French midfielder’s form for AS Monaco has seen him attract interest from top clubs across Europe. This also includes Liverpool, who are looking at the option of signing Bakayoko.
However, Monaco are not willing to let their star player leave in the January transfer window, especially when they have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and are also in the title race in France.
What next?
Liverpool, United, Chelsea and City will have to wait until the end of the 2016-17 season to make an approach for Bakayoko. It is unlikely that either the player of Monaco are looking for the transfer to take place in January.
Sportskeeda’s take
Lucas Leiva’s future at Anfield remains uncertain as he has publicly admitted that he is considering his future with the Merseyside club. Should be decided to leave Liverpool, Bakayoko could be the player to replace Lucas at Liverpool.
