Liverpool's Search for Wingers After Salah: The PSG Challenge

Liverpool’s search for life after Mohamed Salah has hit another familiar snag: Paris.

The Premier League club are actively scouring the market for at least one more winger despite already landing Spain international Victor Muñoz from Osasuna in a deal worth around €40m. Salah’s planned exit, signposted back in March when Liverpool made clear he would be allowed to seek a new challenge this summer, has turned wide attacking reinforcements from luxury into necessity.

But every time Liverpool fix their gaze on a marquee wide player, Paris Saint-Germain seem to be standing in the doorway.

Another target, same problem

RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande was the early headline name on Liverpool’s list. He looked a natural fit: explosive, versatile, with the profile to grow into a long-term successor on the flank. Then came the twist. Reports across Europe suggested Diomande’s preference was PSG, swinging the momentum firmly towards the French champions.

Now the same storyline is threatening to repeat itself with Maghnes Akliouche.

On Wednesday, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas revealed that Liverpool had made an initial approach to Monaco for the highly rated France winger. Posting on X, Thomas described it as “exclusive” information, stating that Liverpool had checked on the potential availability of Akliouche, who is also a target for PSG.

That was enough to spark talk of a looming transfer battle. The reality, for now, is more nuanced.

Romano: PSG already have player agreement

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano moved quickly to cool the idea of Liverpool hijacking the deal. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano stressed that his information had “not changed” despite the latest noise.

He made two key points.

• First, Liverpool have not yet made a concrete move. Interest, yes. A genuine push, no. Romano underlined that if Liverpool formally enter the race, he will say so, but as things stand they have not advanced beyond that stage.
• Second, PSG are in a commanding position. According to Romano, the French champions already have an agreement with Akliouche, and the player “wants to join PSG”. Talks between PSG and Monaco are ongoing, with no club-to-club deal fully signed off yet, but the framework is there and the Paris club are working to finalise it.

The warning is obvious. Until contracts are exchanged, nothing is guaranteed. Romano even pointed to the recent Morgan Rogers saga as proof of how quickly a transfer can flip. But the balance of power on Akliouche is clear: PSG are ahead, Liverpool are on the periphery.

A ‘possibility’, not a plan

Inside Liverpool, the picture is slightly different, and more measured.

The Athletic’s James Pearce, speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast, confirmed that Akliouche is on the radar at Anfield but stopped well short of calling him a priority.

Pearce revealed that Liverpool made an approach “earlier on in the window” for the Monaco right-winger and that internal discussions have taken place. Akliouche is one of “a number of targets” being assessed as the club weigh up their options for the post-Salah era.

That choice of wording matters. This is not a one-target strategy. Liverpool are running a broader shortlist, and Akliouche sits within it as a live, but not locked-in, option.

Pearce also framed the deal in financial terms. Akliouche would likely cost in the region of €50–60m, making him a cheaper alternative to PSG’s Bradley Barcola, another winger admired by Liverpool. In other words, Akliouche is viewed as a viable route if other avenues close, not as the single, must-have piece of the puzzle.

“He’s certainly one that I say is a possibility,” Pearce concluded, “rather than a kind of definite they’ll be making a move for him.”

Liverpool’s wide dilemma

So where does that leave Liverpool?

They have already moved decisively once, with Muñoz through the door. They know Salah is edging towards the exit. They have tested the water on several high-end wingers. Yet the pattern is becoming familiar: the players they like, PSG like too, and the Paris club are currently winning those arm-wrestles.

Akliouche, by all accounts, is tempted by the chance to stay in Ligue 1 with the champions, in a team built around French and France-based talent. PSG have the agreement with the player. Liverpool, at this stage, only have interest and a file of scouting reports.

The window still has room to breathe. Negotiations between Monaco and PSG are not complete. Circumstances can turn sharply, fees can rise, deals can stall. If that happens, Liverpool’s earlier approach and ongoing internal debate over Akliouche’s value could yet drag them deeper into the race.

For now, though, the story is simple. Liverpool are watching. PSG are acting. And in the battle to shape their attack without Salah, Liverpool must decide how many times they are willing to chase the same shadow across the Paris skyline.