Liverpool could lose Sadio Mane this summer but they may well have had his replacement already lined up if a mega-money deal went their way.
What's the word?
James Pearce's latest column for The Athletic this week revealed some interesting transfer lines with the Reds supposedly shortlisting Jarrod Bowen and Jonathan David ahead of possible summer moves.
However, the most intriguing line from Pearce was a swift mention of a certain Kylian Mbappe.
The Frenchman's contractual situation at PSG had been a controversial saga but it is finally put to bed now with Mbappe eventually turning down Real Madrid and signing a new deal.
That said, he could have ended up at Anfield. Pearce wrote: "Senior Anfield figures held talks over a potential free-agent deal for Kylian Mbappe earlier this year but it soon became clear that they just couldn’t make the numbers work financially.
"It became a straight shootout between staying at Paris Saint-Germain and joining Real Madrid after his contract expired. The France international opted for the former."
[snack-amp-story url="https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano" title= "Read the latest Liverpool news!"]
Surprising news
There have been murmurs beneath the surface of potential interest from Liverpool in Mbappe for a while now.
The World Cup winner has admitted his intrigue with the Merseysiders before, calling them a "machine" but to hear that there was genuinely a move to try and get a deal done from a reputable source will surprise the entire fanbase at Anfield.
FSG haven't spent a great deal in recent years with the only signing last summer being that of Ibrahima Konate.
The only acquisition in January, meanwhile, was attacking star Luis Diaz. That move, however, was fast-tracked due to interest from other parties.
Therefore, the arrival of Mbappe with Mane and Mo Salah's futures with Liverpool uncertain would have been quite the coup.
Their title rivals in Manchester City have already signed Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and this is a swoop that would have usurped that considering his talents.
Valued at a staggering £213m by CIES, he is one of the best footballers on the planet having beaten the goalkeeper on 171 occasions in 217 outings for PSG.
39 of those goals came this season as he ran riot in the French top-flight throughout 2021/22. With that in mind, the arrival of Mr Mbappe in England would have been greeted with much fanfare.
It will come as no surprise that the finances were wrong for Liverpool but it is a shock that they even explored a move in the first place.
Perhaps Jurgen Klopp's side will see this as one that got away in a year's time.