Liverpool are preparing a move for AS Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche as a central part of their summer rebuild, with the club willing to meet Monaco’s €50 million asking price for the 24-year-old French international.
The interest, reported by L’Equipe, frames Akliouche as the primary candidate to fill the creative void left by Mohamed Salah, who will leave Anfield as a free agent this summer after a nine-year spell that produced one of the most prolific individual careers in Premier League history.
Akliouche has registered seven goals and 11 assists across 41 appearances in all competitions for Monaco this season, operating primarily from the right flank with a strong left foot that draws obvious stylistic comparisons to Salah. He is under contract until 2028, and his exit from Monaco this summer is described by L’Equipe as “almost certain,” with the club bracing for the loss of several key players as they manage their financial and squad transition following another strong Ligue 1 campaign.
Liverpool’s recruitment team has tracked Akliouche for over a year. Monaco blocked his departure last summer by insisting on a €70 million valuation that deterred major clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, who reportedly held discussions with the player before he chose to remain in the principality. The fee reduction to €50 million this summer reflects Monaco’s recognition that Akliouche’s contract situation and the club’s financial needs make a sale both sensible and inevitable.
Former Monaco midfielder Takumi Minamino, who played alongside Akliouche during his time in France, provided a candid assessment that resonates with Liverpool’s thinking. Minamino described him as a player with “huge potential” who possesses the intelligence and movement to thrive in a high-tempo pressing system. That endorsement carries weight for a recruitment department that values player testimony from trusted former colleagues.
Paris Saint-Germain are the most credible competing interest, with the Parisiens monitoring Akliouche closely after he scored twice against them in Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season combined. A move to PSG would offer Champions League football but potentially less regular starting time given their squad depth. Liverpool, despite a disappointing season, remain a significant draw given the platform and the directness of the Salah replacement narrative.
Liverpool are also reportedly considering a simultaneous swoop for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara as they prepare for the departures of Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister this summer. The potential double raid on the same club is unusual but reflects both the quality of Monaco’s current squad and Liverpool’s ambition to address multiple positions in a single decisive window rather than operating piecemeal.
At €50 million, Akliouche represents a measured investment for a club that spent considerably more on several previous attacking signings. Whether he can replicate Salah’s output, which no realistic single signing could be expected to do immediately, is a separate question. What Liverpool appear to be buying is potential, versatility, and a player at the precise age where elite clubs expect transformative growth.
