Liverpool eyeing bid for “complete” £36m-rated colossus, he’s even better than Fabinho - opinion

Liverpool have reportedly received a boost in their hopes of signing Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, according to reports coming out of France.

As per Foot Mercato, Jurgen Klopp’s side have emerged as the frontrunners in the race for the 22-year-old’s signature, with the report suggesting that the Anfield outfit are ‘ideally placed’ to secure a deal.

A move to Merseyside is also believed to be ‘a priority’ for the young Frenchman, albeit with La Liga giants Real Madrid not yet out of the running as they look to freshen up their ageing midfield ranks.

This follows a report from 90min earlier in the month which revealed that both Champions League finalists had spoken with the Ligue 1 outfit to ‘register their interest’ in the player, with the club’s asking price set at roughly €60m (£50.4m).

The base of Klopp’s midfield may not appear to be an area in need of strengthening, but despite his relative youth Tchouameni could actually prove to be an upgrade on current Reds starter Fabinho.

The former Bordeaux starlet has been in stunning form at the Stade Louis II this season, chipping in with three goals and two assists in Ligue 1 thus far, while also averaging a remarkable 2.9 interceptions and 2.5 tackles per game and winning 64% of his duels.

By contrast, Brazilian star Fabinho has enjoyed a surprisingly profitable campaign in front of goal with five league goals to his name thus far, although his defensive statistics are less impressive, as he has averaged 1.4 interceptions and 1.6 tackles per game, while also just winning 50% of his duels.

Equally, Tchouameni has also performed favourably up against those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 1% for interceptions made and top 17% for