Liverpool in ongoing talks to seal Anfield’s best signing since Szoboszlai

Arne Slot has been replaced by Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, but FSG are still determined to make sweeping changes in the summer transfer window, as they did last year.

However, the Reds persuasion will expect to see a more calculated and accurate approach this time around, with last year’s scattergun strategy ending with Slot’s dismissal after a disappointing Premier League title defence.

The hope and expectation is that Liverpool will have learned from their recent mistakes and are now targeting players who will settle the tactical imbalances and lift Liverpool back into title contention, both domestically and overseas.

Newcastle United’s move for Victor Munoz has been hijacked, and the Anfield side are still on the hunt for new forwards.

Liverpool in talks to sign Real Madrid star

Liverpool are looking to snap up their top targets with speed this summer, though the ongoing World Cup is making that difficult.

Still, Munoz has been added to Iraola’s squad, and the pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande remains on. In fact, Liverpool have never been closer to signing the £100m-rated winger, with it suggested that personal terms have been agreed between Anfield and the Ivory Coast superstar, who is still only 19 years old.

However, Liverpool aren’t only looking at forwards this summer. In midfield, the Reds left a lot to be desired last season, and something needs to change ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, else Iraola will find that he is unable to smooth out the creases in the fabric of this Liverpool side, much like his predecessor.

Bringing over a first-class midfielder will be easier said than done, but Liverpool do have one of the best in the business on their list.

According to TEAMtalk, Real Madrid’s proposed move to sign Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez could assist Liverpool in a move for Aurelien Tchouameni, who would have no intention of playing second fiddle in Jose Mourinho’s midfield.

Tchouameni, 26, is an elite player, and given the recent developments in the Spanish capital, it’s interesting to note that Liverpool have been kept informed on his situation ‘throughout the summer’, with talks opening the door for a potential deal – Tchouameni is valued at £70m.

It’s not all doom and gloom in the centre of the park for Liverpool. Dominik Szoboszlai, after all, won the Reds’ Player of the Year by an absolute landslide.

In Tchouameni, Liverpool could land their most impactful signing since the Hungarian was welcomed from Leipzig for £60m in 2023.

Why Tchouameni could be Liverpool’s best signing since Szoboszlai

Described as “the best defensive midfielder in the world” by former teammate Chema Andres, Tchouameni would certainly stuff some physicality and power into Liverpool’s engine room. Ryan Gravenberch is elegant and skilled, but he is not Fabinho, and maybe Liverpool do need a stronger number six to bring the club back up to title contention.

Tchouameni has what it takes to dynamise and direct Liverpool’s midfield for many years to come. He appears to have put to bed the injury problems that plagued him in his earlier years, and his combative defending and immense quality on the ball suggests that he would be in good stead to establish himself as one of the Premier League’s biggest stars.

Across his most recent campaign for Los Blancos, Tchouameni completed 92% of his passes across different areas of midfield. He covered immense stretches of ground, with athleticism that most simply cannot match.

Moreover, the Les Bleus star won over two tackles and five duels on average each game, winning a whopping 68% of his challenges.

To put that into perspective, Mac Allister only won 45% of his duels in the Premier League last season.

Mac Allister arrived alongside Szoboszlai, but he fell heavily by the wayside across Slot’s second season. Szbososzlai, conversely, kicked on and established himself as a talisman for the Merseysiders, and if he maintains that form alongside a group of higher-performing players next year, he could spearhead the club toward silverware.

With Tchouameni alongside him, Iraola’s chances of achieving just that would increase, and then some. Szoboszlai has been a remarkable signing for Liverpool, and he certainly takes the cake there in recent years.

However, Tchouameni might even trump him. Not only is the Frenchman one of the most talented midfielders in the world, but his profile is exactly what the Anfield side are after, and he would make a world of difference.

Whether Liverpool get this one over the line remains to be seen. There are many variables at play, and Manchester United also have a vested interest.

But Tchouameni is the real deal, with enough quality to become the star of the show for Liverpool.