Liverpool are reportedly closing in on AS Monaco wonderkid Christian Koffi, who has been hailed as the next Sadio Mane.
According to French publication L’Equipe, Liverpool are the club in lead as far as the pursuit of Christian Koffi is concerned. The AS Monaco wonderkid, who has been hailed as the next Sadio Mane, is high on the agenda of several top European clubs. But, Liverpool are reported to be closing in on the youngster.
Christian Koffi is one of the many talented youngsters that form the next batch of superstars emerging from the AS Monaco youth setup. The 17-year-old has been hailed as a rising star and his performances for the club’s Under-17 team have caught the attention of many clubs.
So much so that, despite playing just 18 minutes in the UEFA Youth League and no appearance for the senior team, the AS Monaco star is already on the radar of Liverpool and many other clubs.
Liverpool’s interest might stem from the fact that the central midfielder has been compared in terms of skillset to Sadio Mane. Although, it is a bit weird, as Koffi is an out-and-out central midfielder while Mane is a winger who can also do a remarkable job when played through the middle.
17-year old Monaco midfield starlet Christian Koffi whose contract runs out on June, will sign for Liverpool in the next few days. [@LEquipe] pic.twitter.com/9V3XFwJPnv
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) April 5, 2018
Another factor that might contribute to Liverpool’s interest in Koffi is the ban on the club as far as domestic recruitment in the youth squads are concerned, which has seen Liverpool scour even the nether regions of Europe to find the talents adequate to boost their lower age groups.
And AS Monaco are in real danger of losing out on the future years of Koffi. The 17-year-old’s current deal at Monaco is set to expire at the end of the season and there have been no movement towards getting the young midfielder to commit to a new contract.
The headline of L’Equipe’s report and the body though, are somewhat, in contradiction. While the title reads that Christian Koffi is on the verge of joining Liverpool, the body refers to the Merseysiders as an interested party and that the player will engage in talks with the club soon.
Despite the contradiction, Liverpool are reported to be the frontrunners in the race to sign Koffi, who could be the next AS Monaco academy star to exit the club without ever making the senior grade.
