Liverpool's Interest in Maghnes Akliouche: A Winger Market Update
Liverpool’s search for life after Mohamed Salah has taken them back to the winger market – but, for now, Maghnes Akliouche is a name on a list, not a deal on the brink.
The Monaco wide man has been heavily linked with Anfield over the past 48 hours, with reports in England and France suggesting Liverpool had stepped up their interest. Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas even described an “initial approach” to Monaco and checks on the 22-year-old’s availability, noting that Akliouche is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain.
That sparked talk of a classic Liverpool hijack. The reality, according to those closest to the deal, is more restrained.
PSG in the driving seat
Fabrizio Romano moved quickly to cool the noise. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the transfer specialist underlined that Liverpool have not yet launched a concrete move and that the French champions remain in control.
“There has been plenty of speculation about Liverpool hijacking the deal for Maghnes Akliouche but my information has not changed,” Romano said. “If Liverpool make a move or enter the race, I will tell you.
“Right now, Paris Saint-Germain have an agreement with the player, Akliouche wants to join PSG and negotiations with Monaco are continuing.
“The deal is not yet completed club-to-club, so we have to remain careful because transfers can change quickly, as happened with Morgan Rogers.
“But as things stand, Paris Saint-Germain remain firmly in control of the situation and are working to finalise the transfer as soon as possible.”
That is the landscape Liverpool are dealing with: a player who has already given his word to PSG, and two clubs locked in talks over the fee. The window can always twist, but at this stage Liverpool are watching, not dictating.
Liverpool’s wide rebuild
This comes in a summer when Liverpool were always likely to address their attacking flanks. Spain international Victor Munoz has already arrived from Osasuna in a deal worth around €40m, a significant early investment in a new-look frontline.
That signing, though, was never going to be the end of it. Back in March, Liverpool made it clear that Salah would be allowed to seek a “new challenge” this summer, opening the door to a major reshaping of the right-hand side of their attack.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande emerged as an early priority, only for reports to indicate that the forward favoured a switch to PSG. Now Akliouche appears to be leaning the same way, with the French champions again setting the pace.
Liverpool are in the conversation, but not at the negotiating table.
‘A possibility, not a definite’
Inside the club, Akliouche is viewed as an option rather than an obsession. The Athletic’s James Pearce, speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast, framed the interest in those exact terms.
“They’ve certainly had some discussions about it,” Pearce said. “I was told yesterday that there had been an approach earlier on in the window for the Monaco right-winger, and he is just one of a number of targets being kind of assessed at the minute before they decide exactly what they’re going to do.
“So he would certainly be a cheaper alternative to Bradley Barcola if you couldn’t get the PSG man. I think you’d be looking at €50-60m for Akliouche. So yeah, he’s certainly one that I say is a possibility, rather than a kind of definite they’ll be making a move for him.”
That price bracket underlines the level Liverpool are shopping at. This is not a bargain hunt. It is a search for a long-term, top-tier wide forward who can either complement or eventually replace Salah’s output.
Akliouche fits the profile: young, technically sharp, comfortable off the right and on the move. But so do others on Liverpool’s list, and the club are clearly prepared to pivot if the numbers or the player’s preference drift too far towards Paris.
For now, PSG hold the cards and the player’s approval. Liverpool, as so often in this window, are weighing their next swing in a winger market that refuses to stand still.
