Liverpool must learn from Jude Bellingham as ‘incredible’ $1.5m option could follow Mohamed…

With four midfielders set to depart Liverpool this summer, it is expected that Jürgen Klopp will be investing in several reinforcements and one emerging French star may fit the bill.

With James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keïta and Arthur Melo all leaving Anfield at the end of the season, it is clear that the Reds will require fresh additions in the coming months.

One midfielder who has caught the eye during his side’s run in the Europa Conference league this term is FC Basel’s Andy Diouf, who has been a real mainstay for the Swiss giants this season while on loan from French side Stade Rennais.

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The versatile 20-year-old prospect has experienced something of a breakout season at St Jakob Park, making 54 appearances across all competitions, with his side making the semi-finals of the continent’s third-tier competition.

The Frenchman made one of the most significant contributions of his career thus far, scoring Basel’s equalizer in a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final.

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, his performances have caught the eye of clubs from across Europe, with Serie A’s Bologna monitoring the France U21 international’s availability, alongside Liverpool who are said to be ‘on his trail in a decisive way’ for the emerging prospect.

With a valuation of just $1.5m (£1.2m/€1.4m), as per TransferMarkt, the player could represent something of a bargain for a potential buyer this summer, with the star having demonstrated his quality this season in Switzerland while on loan.

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The 1.87m (6ft 2in) star has been in impressive form for his temporary employers during this campaign, standing out among his peers in a variety of areas, with talent scout Jacek Kulig having described him as ‘incredible’ on Twitter.

According to football statistics website FBref, the emerging prospect has registered in the top one per cent of all midfielders across the world’s next eight competitions — those ranked just below Europe’s top five leagues in terms of standard —for progressive carries, the top four per cent for non-penalty goals, the top nine per cent for successful take-ons and the top 15 per cent for progressive passes per 90 minutes.

Liverpool.com says: FC Basel has, of course, been a breeding ground for some stars of Liverpool’s past and present, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Mohamed Salah both having emerged at the club earlier in their careers.

In this case, the Reds may want to secure a talent at an early stage of his career, rather than having to pay over the odds for him later down the line.

Liverpool pulled out of a deal for Jude Bellingham this summer due to the costs and lessons should be learned from that episode, with the debacle a telling reminder that the club may need to get back to developing stars rather than buying them.

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