Mohamed Salah’s departure is already shaping Liverpool’s summer, and Maghnes Akliouche has emerged as one of the names the club are looking at to fill the gap. Flavien Trésarrieu of L’Équipe reported that Monaco expect to lose several key players this summer, including Folarin Balogun, Akliouche and Lamine Camara, with Liverpool said to be more interested in the 24-year-old attacking midfielder than in some of the other names on their list.
Salah said in March that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, and that decision now hangs over the final stretch of the campaign. He is recovering from a minor hamstring injury suffered in late April against Crystal Palace, but is expected back before the season ends, possibly against Aston Villa on May 15. Liverpool have two games left, with their final league match against Brentford at Anfield on May 24, and they sit fourth with two games to play, needing at least one more win to make sure of Champions League football next season.
Akliouche fits the profile Liverpool are said to be weighing. He is under contract until 2028, is valued at about $50 million and has put together a strong season for Monaco, making 30 league appearances with six goals and six assists. He is also being viewed in France as a possible addition to the roster for the 2026 World Cup, which only adds to his appeal for clubs trying to move early on promising attacking talent.
Trésarrieu said Liverpool are reportedly more interested in him, and described the club’s thinking this way: “The Reds have a major overhaul planned for this transfer window, and Akliouche and the prospect of spending around €50 million on the 24-year-old attacking midfielder (under contract until 2028) wouldn’t be a deterrent for them.” That places him firmly in a wider search that also includes Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Jarrod Bowen, Yan Diomande, Francisco Conceicao and Anthony Gordon.
Monaco are likely to be a busy market this summer, not just because of Akliouche. Flavien Trésarrieu’s reporting suggests the club could lose a cluster of important players, and that is part of the reason interest in the winger has grown. PSG are monitoring him after he scored two goals at Parc des Princes this season, while Tottenham tried to sign him last summer before he chose to stay in Monaco. Liverpool, who spent nearly $570 million in transfers last summer and brought in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong among others, are again prepared to shop at the top end.
The next few weeks could tell Liverpool how ambitious they need to be. Salah may still play again before he leaves, but the club are already planning for a version of next season that no longer runs through him. If Akliouche is the name they prefer, the race may be decided before Monaco lose the chance to ask for even more.
