Liverpool Tried to Sign Thomas Lemar as Philippe Coutinho Replacement in 2017
By Robbie Walls
Liverpool tried to sign then Monaco winger Thomas Lemar back in 2017, in preparation for the departure of star man Philippe Coutinho.
At the time the Brazilian was rumoured to make a move to Barcelona, and thus the club were in the market for a high profile acquisition in order to soften the blow.
As it was, Coutinho remained at the club for the start of the 2017/18 season, before moving to Barcelona in January 2018 in a staggering £142m deal.
Since his departure, the club have made little moves to strengthen their attack, yet the Daily Express have reported that the Reds did move for Lemar with the expected departure of Coutinho.
The Merseyside club reportedly made two bids for the French international - the second bid as high as £64m - yet the offers were rejected, with Monaco standing firm on their £90m asking price.
The 24-year-old instead remained in Ligue 1 for one more season, before joining Atlético Madrid in 2018, where he has struggled to make a proper impact in Diego Simeone's side.
As for Liverpool, while attacking reinforcements have been limited, they did use the Coutinho sale to fund moves for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018 and then goalkeeper Alisson in the summer of 2018 - with both players becoming vital to Jurgen Klopp's rampant side this term.
For Coutinho, since his departure from Anfield he has failed to really hit the heights, enduring a tough spell at the Catalan giants before an equally as mediocre spell with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The former Inter man has been linked with a return to the Premier League this summer, yet it must be disheartening to see his former side surging towards an inevitable league title.
Liverpool may yet be in the market for an attacking option in the upcoming window, in order to lessen the burden on Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané.