Liverpool are seemingly scouring the Premier League as they look to make a summer signing or two.
The Reds do not feel to need too much in the transfer market, but a couple of areas of improvement can certainly be sought.
Attack is one area where Liverpool are said to be keen to shop. And as a result, links to a handful of Premier League players have arrived.
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is reportedly on the radar, as is Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United. Nothing concrete has yet emerged on either.
Aside from a new forward – and potentially an additional centre-back – Arne Slot could be on the search for another midfielder, too.
Liverpool impressed by Cheick Doucoure
It somehow feels unlikely that Liverpool will sign a new player for each outfield area of the pitch this summer.
Nevertheless, their need for something different in midfield is quite clear. Although Wataru Endo did a decent job of it this season, Slot could do with an elite defensive midfielder in his squad.
As ever, the Premier League feels like a good place to start with that. If a player already has experience of England’s top division then he’ll instantly be more attractive to the Liverpool owners.
Consequently, it’s easy to see why Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz has been linked, for example. Luiz had a really good season with Villa and would no doubt come into Liverpool’s thinking if they were to go down that route.
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Another who has reportedly caught their eye in the past has been tough tackling Crystal Palace man Cheick Doucoure. Liverpool were linked with Doucoure before signing Endo last summer. Since then, the 24-year-old had his season ruined by injury in November.
And according to journalist David Ornstein, Liverpool were keeping a close watch over Doucoure before his fitness issue. Speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, Ornstein claimed that the Malian was ‘really highly thought of’ at Anfield.
“Doucoure was really highly thought of by Liverpool before his knee injury, for example,” said the journalist. “I’m sure other clubs are looking at him as well, he’s only a year into his Crystal Palace career.”
Could Liverpool come back in for Cheick Doucoure?
The context of Ornstein’s words is while speaking about potential outgoings from Crystal Palace this summer.
Palace had a rip-roaring end to the season under Oliver Glasner and have a number of players who look primed to take the next step in their careers.
Marc Guehi has been linked to Liverpool, for example, while Michael Olise is another name to be doing the rounds.
But in Liverpool’s case, we think that Doucoure would actually be the biggest game-changer.
It’s a real shame the former Lens man got injured. Given how strong the links were with £70m-rated Doucoure last summer, we’d imagine Liverpool might have been eyeing him as a long-term option.
Having been out for so long is likely to have changed that, though. We’d now suspect that Doucoure is off the Reds shopping list for now. Stay fit and do well next season though and that could change again.