Liverpool make first move for Monaco star after PSG see another bid rejected

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool have checked on the potential availability of Akliouche to bolster their options out wide. Having been promoted from the youth setup, the player has been an integral part of the Monaco first team since 2021. During this period, the talented winger has impressively scored 23 goals in 139 matches.

He enjoyed a stellar campaign last season, where he scored seven goals and provided 10 assists in 43 matches across all competitions. These impressive numbers came before featuring in the World Cup, where France ultimately suffered a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off match.

Liverpool have identified the forward as a primary target following the exit of Salah at the end of last season, but they face stiff competition for his signature. PSG have heavily pursued the player and have made several offers for him during this transfer window. However, Monaco have stood firm and deemed none of those approaches acceptable so far.

The most recent bid from the Ligue 1 champions is believed to be in the region of £34 million, which Monaco quickly rejected. This refusal has encouraged Liverpool to step up their pursuit of the highly-rated winger before the market closes.

Liverpool have already secured the £34.5m signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna. However, speaking in a press conference on Tuesday ahead of facing Sunderland in a pre-season friendly, new boss Andoni Iraola admitted further reinforcements are needed. Iraola said: "We definitely need to sign a winger. You have to always be open to new options to improve the squad.

There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players. A winger, for example - we definitely need to sign a winger. But there are other situations that we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what's the cost, how we also see the players we have."

Iraola added: "We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust but is still not the ideal situation. So, it will depend on a lot of things." This search follows a stalled move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, with Liverpool only willing to pay £86m compared to the estimated £112m asking price.

Liverpool will now look to formalise their interest in Akliouche and test the resolve of Monaco with an official bid. As Paris Saint-Germain continue to monitor the situation closely, Liverpool must act swiftly to secure his signature. Meanwhile, Iraola will focus on preparing his squad for the upcoming friendly against Sunderland on Saturday.