Sports Mole looks at three possible transfer targets for Liverpool at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Arne Slot‘s first transfer window as Liverpool manager has been one of frustration so far, as the Merseyside giants are yet to bring a single new face to the club for the Dutchman’s debut Premier League campaign.
Sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of Football Michael Edwards have bigger fish to fry right now, namely the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are due to become free agents next year.
However, reinforcements in defence and midfield are believed to be on Liverpool’s pre-season agenda, while a fresh face in attack could also be targeted if neither Salah nor Luis Diaz stick around for the long term.
The Paris 2024 Olympics are a treasure trove of young male talents, as men’s teams are only permitted to select three players aged over 23, and here, Sports Mole picks out three Games competitors who Liverpool could be running the rule over.
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Liverpool have previous when it comes to snapping up highly-rated French defenders from RB Leipzig, and despite being plagued by a few injuries during his time at Anfield, Ibrahima Konate has made his mark alongside Van Dijk
The latter’s contract situation – plus the exit of Joel Matip and likely departures of Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips – has seen Liverpool enter the market for a new centre-back, and they could do a lot worse than RB Leipzig and France’s Castello Lukeba.
The 21-year-old left Lyon last year to join the German giants and seamlessly slotted into the Roten Bullen backline in 2023-24, making 41 appearances and scoring one goal, and he made his senior France debut under Didier Deschamps‘s last October.
Matip was famed for his marauding runs during his time at Anfield, and the Leipzig man could very well fill that role for Liverpool, having averaged over one take-on per game over the past year, putting him in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues.
Lukeba was snubbed for a Euro 2024 call-up but should act as the cornerstone of the France defence at their home Olympics amid claims that Chelsea have also been keeping tabs on his displays.
Rayan Cherki (AM | France Under-23s | Lyon)
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It is incredibly easy to forget that Rayan Cherki is still just 20 years old, as the Lyon starlet has been in and around the Gones first team for a few years now, albeit without enjoying a truly sensational breakthrough campaign.
Cherki was just 16 years old when he was handed a professional contract at Lyon, whom he has now scored 17 goals and set up 25 more in 141 games for, making 33 Ligue 1 appearances in the 2023-24 campaign.
That season was a turbulent one for the France Under-23 international, who was labelled “not special” by former head coach Fabio Grosso, claiming that Cherki lacked the mental and athletic skills to complement his “enormous” technical abilities.
Nevertheless, the 20-year-old’s feats are thought to have attracted the attention of both Liverpool and Chelsea, but in recent weeks, German giants Borussia Dortmund are said to have jumped to the head of the queue.
While Cherki tends to favour the number 10 role, he is also comfortable on either wing, which would make him an intriguing prospect for Liverpool if Salah and/or Diaz decide to seek pastures new.
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Liverpool’s midfield rebuild may have appeared complete last summer, but the Reds are still thought to be open to the right opportunity in the engine room, having allowed Thiago Alcantara to leave as a free agent in June.
This is where Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone – the third Frenchman on this list – may come into the equation, as Liverpool have been tipped to move for him in the past and could reignite their interest should he shine in Paris.
The former Toulouse prospect struck two goals and set up two more in 25 appearances in the 2023-24 campaign, where he completed over two take-ons a game on average, putting him in the 98th percentile for midfielders in the big five European leagues.
As the 6ft 1in international is yet to sign a contract extension with Monchengladbach, he could become a free agent in 2026 as things stand, raising the possibility that a sale could be sanctioned for the right price this summer.