Liverpool suffer a blow in their pursuit of AS Monaco attacking sensation Maghnes Akliouche, with PSG expected to win the race.
Paris Saint-Germain are closing in on Maghnes Akliouche, and despite Liverpool links, the France international looks destined for a move to the French giants, per TEAMtalk.
Akliouche has been on PSG’s radar for months, and personal terms have already been agreed, which is a major advantage. The remaining hurdle is the club-to-club fee with Monaco, who have held firm around €50 million and turned down multiple PSG bids, but talks continue, and both sides are inching toward a compromise.
The sense around the deal is that both sides are inching toward an agreement rather than moving away from one. Liverpool’s name has entered the conversation because the club has monitored Akliouche for some time and reportedly made an initial approach this summer.
But the latest noise appears to have come more from intermediaries than from a serious push by the Premier League side itself. But Akliouche’s camp have consistently backed the same message: his preferred destination is PSG, and the Reds’ interest has not translated into a formal offer.
Akliouche’s appeal to both clubs
At 24, Akliouche fits the profile of the modern wide attacker PSG like to build around: technical, versatile, and still with room to grow. He can operate on the right, drift inside, and add creativity between the lines, which makes him a natural target for a side looking to keep refreshing its attack.
For Liverpool, the timing is awkward because PSG’s prior lead, combined with the player’s preference, has already sealed the race. They have been weighing up options in wide areas following the departure of Mohamed Salah, but with PSG already ahead in the race and the player committed to Paris, their hopes of hijacking the move now look slim.
While he would have been an ideal replacement for Salah given his impressive track record (18 goal contributions in 43 outings last season), the Reds will have to look elsewhere. Unless there is a massive change in the coming days, the 24-year-old should complete a move to the European champions this week.