James Pearce drops huge Liverpool transfer update, it'll surprise supporters - opinion

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.

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.”

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