Liverpool interested in £41m winger labelled one of Everton’s ‘biggest mistakes’ in recent years
Liverpool are reportedly interested in a move for Nice winger Mohamed-Ali Cho who spent five years in Everton’s academy.
The two Merseyside clubs are set to lock horns in the final city derby to take place at Goodison Park tonight but it seems the rivalry could also heat up off the pitch as well.
Arne Slot has enjoyed a brilliant start to life as Liverpool manager and has a settled squad full of quality but it is clear that he has shown his hand when it comes to his favourites this season.
Plus, there’s the potential exit of a few players due to contracts and he will have a better understanding of his squad after a full campaign and will likely look to add to his squad in the summer.
One player who could arrive is the former Everton academy player Cho who is currently thriving in France with Nice.
Having already had experience at Angers, Real Soecidad and now Nice before the age of 22, he certainly boasts a strong football education, gaining valuable minutes in Europe’s top five leagues, and it has served him with well five goals and three assists this season.
According to TEAMTalk, Everton’s failure to keep hold of Cho as “one of the club’s biggest mistakes in recent years,” and he’s now being linked with a move back to Liverpool to join the Red half.
Sources have confirmed Liverpool have the player on their shortlist with Slot looking to sign players who are equally capable across multiple attacking positions and both wings, which Cho is.
Speaking in 2021 to Outest France, the president of Angers admitted he wanted to see offers in the region of €50m (£41m) for the talented youngster and considering his deal expires in 2028, it could need a sizeable fee to secure him.
For Everton, he is another example of a player they had on their books who went on to become highly-rated; other examples include Antonee Robinson, Adeola Lookman and Eric Dier.
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Liverpool’s current squad outlook
With the future of Mohamed Salah still up in the air following no contract announcement, it is only natural that the club would be linked with attacking reinforcements.
However, there is a crop of players who have rarely featured under Slot who could be set for an exit this summer, opening the door for additions.
The likes of Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, Wataru Endo, Tyler Morton and Darwin Nunez are all those with a back-up role which could result in a potential exit.
In other transfer news, Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia as Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus has confirmed they want to sign him in the summer.