Liverpool have held talks to sign £51m star who’s so superior to Wirtz

It is no secret that Andoni Iraola wants to add more quality to his Liverpool forward line before the summer transfer window closes in September.

Mo Salah’s exit at the end of the 2025/26 campaign has left a significant hole to fill on the right side of the attack, in particular, whilst the only player who hit double figures for Premier League goals, Hugo Ekitike, is sidelined through injury.

The Reds need reinforcements at the top end of the pitch and have already been linked with a move for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr as a potential addition to their options on the left flank.

FSG may also need to provide some competition for Florian Wirtz in the number ten position, though, after a frustrating first year at Anfield for the playmaker.

Why Liverpool need to sign competition for Florian Wirtz

After joining from Bayer Leverkusen for a mammoth fee of £116m last summer, the Germany international scored five goals and provided three assists in 33 matches in the Premier League.

Wirtz underperformed his xG, scoring five times from 7.03 xG, and missed more ‘big chances’ (eight) than he scored goals, as he struggled at the top end of the pitch in the top-flight.

He also failed to deliver consistent quality on the European stage for Arne Slot, with a return of one goal from 2.09 xG in 11 appearances in the Champions League last term.

A return of six goals from 9.12 xG in 44 outings in the Premier League and the Champions League combined was an incredibly underwhelming one for a player signed for such a significant transfer fee.

His lack of consistency and quality in front of goal for Liverpool last season suggests that the Reds need to sign a player who can compete with him for his position in the team, to keep competition high and help to push him on to hit new levels.

Liverpool have explored deal to sign Florian Wirtz upgrade

The club have already looked at a player who could arrive at Anfield in the coming weeks as an even better option than Wirtz as a number ten option.

Journalist James Pearce has revealed that Liverpool have already held “discussions” about a potential deal to sign Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the reporter claimed that the Reds have already made an approach for the France international and that he is one of a number of forward options currently being assessed by the recruitment team for Iraola.

Pearce added that it could take a fee of up to £51m to agree a deal with Monaco for the 24-year-old playmaker, and that he is a possible, but not definite, addition to the Liverpool squad.

REUTERS/David Butler Ii

For a fee that would be less than half of what they paid Leverkusen for Wirtz, FSG should push to get this deal over the line to bolster Iraola’s squad ahead of next season.

Akliouche is a versatile star who can play as a left-footer coming off the right flank, as a possible Salah replacement, or as an out-and-out number ten in the attacking midfield role.

His statistics at league level in the 2025/26 campaign suggest that he has the quality to be an even better option than Wirtz in the central playmaking role for Liverpool, as he scored more goals, created more ‘big chances’, racked up more xA, and assisted more goals.

Akliouche’s form last term was not a flash in the pan, either, as he also scored five goals, created 15 ‘big chances’, and provided ten assists in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 season.

The 24-year-old star, who also scored seven Ligue 1 goals in the 2023/24 campaign, has consistently shown over the last few years that he can offer quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals at an impressive rate.

Whilst he has yet to prove himself in the Premier League, Akliouche’s consistency for Monaco is promising and suggests that he could come in and be a superior option to Wirtz, by scoring goals more consistently and efficiently, whilst also creating more chances for his teammates.

Given the figure quoted, Liverpool’s need for a versatile player who can play multiple positions across the frontline, and his form for Monaco last season, this is a deal that seems to make a lot of sense for the club.