It's March 2022. RMC Sports are reporting that Liverpool have reached an agreement with AS Monaco for their prodigious midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, albeit with Real Madrid also coming to a conclusion over the logistics of a deal, with the ball in the player's court.

Jurgen Klopp has guided Liverpool to triumph in the Carabao Cup, with the tantalising hopes of a historic quadruple very much alive.

It didn't all go to plan. The Reds would complete a laudable domestic cup double and glean the FA Cup too, but Manchester City would pip the Anfield side to the Premier League by the most minute of distances, while Los Blancos would agonisingly defeat Liverpool in the Champions League final.

Carlo Ancelotti's imperious outfit subsequently enticed Tchouameni into signing for £85m, adding insult to Liverpool's injuries after sapping them of both success on the continental stage and their most coveted summer target.

Liverpool's malaise seeped into the 22/23 term, and the club are now battling to even secure Champions League football next season, unable to add to their growing collection of major honours under Klopp's wing.

90min's Graeme Bailey has recently stated that the Merseyside club could swoop for the 23-year-old this summer, following previous reports that the gem could be secured on a loan deal after making a mixed start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Why should Liverpool sign Aurelien Tchouameni?

Once hailed as an "extraordinary" talent by compatriot Paul Pogba, Frenchman Tchouameni blitzed into prominence last season with The Red and Whites before completing his high-profile move to Spain.

Having scored five goals and provided three assists from a mammoth 50 appearances for Monaco last term, the £212k-per-week machine has indeed emerged as one of Europe's brightest talents, making an average of 2.5 tackles and 2.9 interceptions per match in Ligue 1, as per WhoScored.

Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni

The 6 foot 2 menace has plied 45 matches for Los Blancos, registering four assists, but has only started on 22 occasions in LaLiga and has not been entrusted with a starting berth across any of his team's Champions League knockout fixtures.

The 22-cap ace - who started all seven of France's 2022 World Cup matches and scored against England - ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, the top 2% for rate of interceptions, the top 13% for rate of clearances and the top 12% for aerials won per 90.

Not just a defensively sound asset, the youngster boasts quality bursting forward from his central berth, ranking among the top 28% for progressive carries.

Described as a "superb talent" by Rio Ferdinand, Tchouameni could yet blossom into one of Europe's greatest modern holding midfielders, and if Liverpool succeed in securing his signature, could boast their own version of coveted midfield anchor Declan Rice, who Liverpool have been linked with, perhaps even wielding an upgrade on the West Ham United man.

Rice, meanwhile, ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe for rate of interceptions per 90 and the top 15% for progressive carries, outlining their close similarities.

The £60k-per-week Iron has been integral over the past several seasons in guiding his outfit to successive European seasons - with the Hammers currently leading AZ Alkmaar 2-1 at the midpoint of their Conference League semi-final - and securing Premier League survival this term, recording a 7.19 average rating in the top-flight.

Tchouameni is a far more assured passer of the ball than Rice, who ranks only among the top 19% of midfielders for pass completion, but that only goes to prove how good a signing this would be, to lure someone similar but potentially even better than the Englishman to Anfield.

Should Klopp wrap up a deal, Liverpool would return to the forefront of European football, providing him with a platform to flourish and exhibit the full might of his ability.