Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone are controlled by Jurgen Klopp and his recruiting team

Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone remain in the spotlight and it could still take a few weeks for Liverpool’s two summer goals.

Having kicked off their recruitment campaign by signing Alexis Mac Allister on a free transfer, the Reds want at least one more midfielder to bolster their squad for the 2023/24 season.

Thuram and Kone are under scrutiny as Jurgen Klopp and his recruiting team pursue a younger profile for their next signing.

For those unfamiliar with the two French starlets, or Ryan Gravenberch and Gabri Veiga, there is a chance to see them do their job this summer at the ongoing European Under-21 Championships taking place in Romania and Georgia. The tournament lasts until mid-July.

Thuram and Kone came on for Les Bleus on Thursday night as they headed to a controversial 2-1 win against Italy, which saw VAR – and for once a lack of such technology – take center stage in the dying minutes .

As long as they had no connection to the Italian team, the most important thing for the Liverpool fans who watched the action via the UEFA website was the performance of Thuram and Kone. Overall, Kone was fantastic while Thuram showed one or two nice glimpses of his undisputed talent.

Of course, he’s sparked debate about their respective futures, and one look at social media was enough to show just how high they both stand on the red side of this famous footballing city. However, with a golden opportunity to showcase themselves, there will be no shortage of other candidates.

However, should the Reds sign either or both, there are some tempting squad numbers available to snap up their proposed arrivals at Anfield, even after Mac Allister landed the vacant number 10 which was not allocated by the club after Sadio Mane joined Bayern Munich.

Outgoing foursome James Milner (7), Naby Keita (8), Roberto Firmino (9) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have four options left on the hook, although there could be internal calls for those jerseys. Other tracks currently available include; 12, 16, 24, 25, 30 and 31 along with further options in the 30s and 40s.

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Jorg Schmadtke needs to address Liverpool’s escalating Trent Alexander-Arnold issue.

New Liverpool transfer boss Jörg Schmadtke has to resolve an issue over Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool and new sporting director Jörg Schmadtke will be busy finding new signings to bolster Jurgen Klopp’s squad, but they also have a looming problem with Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman has shone as a midfielder for club and country in recent months, underlining how important he is to his club in multiple roles.

He operated in a more traditional midfield position under Gareth Southgate, but for his club Alexander-Arnold moved from right-back to play alongside Fabinho – while Curtis Jones and Jordan Henderson were given more freedom to play.

‘offensive. New signing Alexis Mac Allister is set to make up a big part of Klopp’s midfield next season, further aided by the arrival of Alexander-Arnold. However, the 24-year-old has to make a decision on his long-term future with just two years left on his current contract.

If the Reds fail to tie him down to a new contract within the next 12 months, clubs will be lurking in the background, growing confident they can steer him away from Anfield.

One issue could perhaps be his salary, as Alexander-Arnold currently earns £180,000 a week but is expected to be paid at least £200,000 a week, on par with top earners like Virgil van Dijk and Thiago.

Liverpool fans have expressed their displeasure that current owner Fenway Sports Group is reluctant to splash the cash as it remains to be seen whether a record deal for Alexander-Arnold will come in a season without the financial help that comes with it. to play with the champions. high on the agenda would be the league.

Athletic have claimed Alexander-Arnold will be the priority outgoing players in 2025, a list which includes Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk and Henderson, but there is currently no urgency to start talks over an extension.

With Schmadtke only in a short-term role over the summer, with an option to extend if all parties believe the partnership is fruitful, there is a chance he will focus on short-term goals for the current open window rather than long-term ambitions like tying Alexander-Arnold to a new contract.

The full-back’s new role revitalized him at a time when he was worried about his defensive frailties, but if there were any doubts that Liverpool could have been better off without him, Alexander-Arnold quickly put them to bed with recent performances: how he impressed Reds team-mate Andy Robertson.

“Trent is Trent and that’s the biggest compliment I can pay him,” the Scotland captain told Sky Sports. “He fits everything you ask him.

He’s still relatively young, but he’s got a wise head on his shoulders and I think when you’re so technically gifted, you’ve got so many skills, you’ve got so much talent.

Then you can play in any position and it would come from the best and most importantly he has that aggression and that will to succeed – and I think you’ve seen it.