Liverpool will also take £44m for Klopp’s target

The summer transfer window has yet to officially open, but Liverpool are pulling no punches as they push to strengthen Andoni Iraola’s squad.

The emerging Yan Diomande has been tagged as FSG’s first target, but with RB Leipzig pushing a nine-digit figure amid rival interest from Paris Saint-Germain, it should go without saying that nothing is certain about this.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in the world, and in three campaigns with Bournemouth, he shows skills, style and substance. More importantly, perhaps, he showed resilience, somehow going from strength to strength despite losing key personnel each year.

Iraola’s strategic vision cannot be realized without highly developed fitness levels. A roaring winger like Diomande would help in that regard, but Liverpool’s midfield is the center of their problem under Arne Slot, and FSG have no plans to neglect the Anfield engine room.

Liverpool are studying the circumstances of the previous top goal

Iraola’s football is aggressive, using verticality, which means they move forward and look to break through defensive lines with sharp and quick passes.

Fitness levels need to be maintained at a high level, and as such, Liverpool need to make changes in midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister able to cope with the pressure and intensity of the Premier League this season.

Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed that several European outfits are looking at the 27-year-old, who is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. If Liverpool do sell, they will certainly need to find the right upgrade, someone to embrace Iraola’s high-octane approach.

According to Tutto Juve, that man could be Juventus’ Khephren Thuram, who is one of Liverpool’s main targets when Jurgen Klopp rebuilds his aging engine room in 2023 – Mac Allister is building one part of this overhaul.

Thuram, 25, is physical and technical, embodying the goals Iraola wants from his midfielders. Manchester United and Galatasaray are also interested, and while Juve are reluctant to sell, they have failed to secure the Champions League, and will therefore have negotiations starting at around €50m (£43m).

Why Thuram is better than Mac Allister

Mac Allister has been a hero for Liverpool over the past three years, but we cannot ignore the Argentina international’s dramatic decline this season, which has hampered the Reds’ hopes of retaining the Premier League title.

FSG needs to weigh the risks of keeping the faith. Mac Allister, moreover, only has two years left on his contract, so selling him now could mark good business.

Especially if Thuram is welcomed to Anfield instead. The Frenchman was described as a “one-man army” in midfield by talent scout Jacek Kulig during his days with OGC Nice, and now, at Juventus, the same praise applies, with Thuram winning the ball in midfield and determined to be a force to be reckoned with in the final third.

In that, of course, Liverpool will get an upgrade from Mac Allister, who has left him with his pace and body. He did not progress in Slot’s second season, regressing in almost every metric that made him one of the best in the Premier League during the 2024/25 title-winning campaign.

In fact, these two midfielders share many properties. Both bring a combination of creative and attacking skills to the table, and both midfielders are smart in their distribution, choosing the right passes and releasing the ball at the right time.

In Serie A, Thuram is one of the fastest growing midfielders in the world, and there is a key point of difference as Liverpool look to get up and running at the start of the new era.

Thuram could be the catalyst for a Liverpool squad that needs to make a number of changes this summer. The likes of Diomande would mark a huge advantage, while another striker and one or two defenders could be on the agenda for sporting director Richard Hughes as well.

Affordable and with high potential, Thuram could prove to be a hit for Liverpool, who have gone three years since their first inquiry.