FSG could get $112m Liverpool redemption as Jude Bellingham call opens door to ‘unsettled’ star

With Liverpool currently sitting in eighth place in the Premier League table, it is clear that major surgery is likely required to return Jürgen Klopp’s ailing side to the top. The mistakes of last summer have cast a long shadow but there may be a chance for some redemption in the upcoming transfer window.

When Aurélien Tchouaméni turned the Reds down in favor of a move to Real Madrid last July, it could well be retrospectively argued that his decision was the direct catalyst for Liverpool’s stark decline this term. Of course, the Merseysiders would opt to not sign an alternative permanent midfielder, only to go back on this call following a poor start to the season.

The Reds would sign Arthur Melo on a season-long loan from Juventus on transfer deadline day, but the fact that the Brazilian has played just 13 minutes during his time under Klopp tells you all you need to know about how he has fared. Many observers had opined that Liverpool would require at least one top-class midfielder ahead of this current season, and the failure to do so now looks like a significant error on the part of Anfield’s recruitment team.

As much as the Reds have been made to rue this costly error during what has been an unquestionably poor campaign, the struggles of Tchouaméni to establish himself in the Spanish capital may give Liverpool a rare opportunity to put things right. According to the Mirror, the 23-year-old is back on the Reds’ radar after they pulled out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham.

The logic of the decision to not pursue a deal for the 19-year-old is worth a debate in itself, but the fact is that not pursuing a deal for the England international will now free up significant funds for Liverpool to potentially invest in several reinforcements as opposed to just one. In many ways, the Reds’ desperate need for elite-level midfielders this summer may well mean that a deal to sign Tchouaméni could well make a lot of sense, especially when one considers the Frenchman’s struggle for regular minutes under Carlo Ancelotti so far this term.

The 22-time international was introduced from the bench against Chelsea in the Champions League this week and, in truth, that has mostly been the story of the midfielder’s season with the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić routinely preferred ahead of him during his debut campaign. Perhaps the ages of the latter two names may deter Los Blancos from cashing in on their asset, but the sale of Casemiro to Manchester United last summer does, at least, potentially hint that they can be persuaded to cash in at the right price.

As David Maddock points out in his piece for the Mirror, it would not be a surprise to see Madrid demand a fee around the $112m (£90m/€100m) they paid Monaco for the midfielder’s services last summer, which may see other targets such as Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo, West Ham’s Declan Rice and Fulham’s João Palhinha potentially targeted instead. That said, his fee would still be significantly cheaper than what Liverpool was quoted for Bellingham, meaning the Reds could be able to sign two or three of their rumored targets this summer.

From a Liverpool perspective, one must also factor in the decline of Fabinho’s form over the course of this season, which will likely alarm Klopp quite considerably. If the German boss determines that the Reds have seen the best of the 29-year-old ‘number six’, then one can see a situation possibly arising where the Brazilian is moved on this summer.

Perhaps, when it comes to Tchouaméni, his destiny is to come to Anfield after all. Liverpool will regret not lining up an alternative for the French star last summer, but striking a deal to bring him to Merseyside would surely be the best way to draw a line under the woes of this season.