Liverpool are reportedly entertaining the idea of making a bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie.
Amid a number of players in that position leaving Anfield this summer, it will be all change on that front over the coming months.
James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are all departing on free transfers, leaving Jurgen Klopp to bring in at least two alternatives.
If reports are to be believed, Alexis Mac Allister is on the brink of arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion in a transfer that has been in the offing for a number of weeks.
However, if Liverpool are to challenge for the Premier League title in 2023-24, it is accepted that they must make more than just one notable signing in the engine room.
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According to Sport, Liverpool are contemplating whether to try to sign Kessie for a fee in the region of £30m.
From a personal perspective, the Ivory Coast international has endured a frustrating first campaign at Camp Nou, making just 10 starts in La Liga and Champions League.
Some of those outings have come in dead-rubber fixtures, while a further 24 outings have been made as a substitute often late in a game.
Although Sergio Busquets is departing the Catalan giants on a free transfer, it appears unlikely that Kessie will immediately become a first-team regular at the Spanish champions under Xavi.
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Rumours also persist that Barcelona officials are eager to complete the signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, preferably in a part-exchange deal but that option looks unrealistic.
If the likes of Ansu Fati continue to shun a switch to Wolves, the sale of Kessie becomes more likely, particularly when his exit would go down as pure profit in the books having signed on a free transfer last summer.
With Jorge Messi - the father of Lionel Messi - acknowledging on Monday that all parties are pushing for the Argentine superstar to return to Barcelona, it would be hugely beneficial if funds can be generated immediately with an offer from Saudi Arabia known to be on the table.
From Liverpool's point of view, Kessie may be viewed as value for money having been quoted far higher figures for the likes of Brighton's Moises Caicedo and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.
Darren Plant
