Liverpool have been linked with a swap deal for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, a transfer which would see Thiago move in the opposite direction.

What's the story?

Kessie has entered the final year of his current contract in Milan, and according to Italian outlet Tuttosport, the 24-year-old has rejected the club's latest offer worth €6.5m (£5.55m) per year.

As a result, the Rossoneri could be forced into a January sale or else risk losing the Ivory Coast international for nothing next summer, leading to several clubs being credited with an interest in the box-to-box dynamo's services.

A report from Il Milanista claims that Liverpool are among those keeping a close eye on Kessie's situation, suggesting that a possible part-exchange involving Thiago could be on the cards.

Liverpool fans may be concerned

Kessie has established himself as one of Serie A’s most dominant midfielders since arriving at San Siro back in 2017 and would be a welcome addition in Liverpool following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum over the summer.

A total of 30 goals and 15 assists in 184 appearances for Milan is testament to the quality of the Ivorian dynamo, and his outstanding passing range and work rate would make him an ideal fit for Klopp's gegenpressing system.

However, Liverpool fans may be concerned at the prospect of losing Thiago. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich maestro has enjoyed a fabulous career at the highest level, winning 23 major trophies to date.

Although a serious knee injury limited the Spaniard to just 20 Premier League starts in his maiden campaign on English shores, his quality in a struggling Liverpool side was there for all to see.

As per SofaScore, Thiago averaged 1.3 key passes per league game and achieved a passing accuracy of 90% while also making a significant defensive contribution, averaging 2.5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per match.

His outstanding displays caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including teammate Nat Philips, who heaped praise on Thiago for his technical and tactical ability.

“(Thiago is) unbelievable. His technical ability and knowledge of the game. His head is always on a pivot," he told the Blood Red Podcast (as relayed by Rousing the Kop).

“You haven’t seen anything yet. There were some moments he’d produce in matches later on that he had produced in training.

"In those moments, you know this guy is a serious player, so yeah, just to have shared a pitch with him is something I can look back on and be proud of because he is an unbelievable footballer.”

Therefore, while signing Kessie would be a big positive for Liverpool, losing Thiago at the same time could be disastrous, and as such, Klopp should steer clear of any potential swap deal which would see the Spaniard sacrificed.

In other news... Huge blow: Liverpool suffer setback ahead of Leeds clash, Klopp will be fuming