Report: 'Extremely talented' player is high on Liverpool's shortlist as they begin to draw up summer plans

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Liverpool look set to pass up the opportunity of adding to the squad in the January transfer window, with full focus on summer plans.

The Reds’ squad is in a good place this winter, with Arne Slot having almost a full group to pick from.

Nevertheless, supporters would still like to see some mid-season business as they look to consolidate their push for the Premier League title.

One position which is perhaps top of fans’ list for a new arrival is at left-back, where Andy Robertson has really been struggling.

In the eyes of some, failure for Liverpool to address this issue in January could lead to a collapse in the second-half of the campaign.

But as the Reds look to hold their nerve for now, reports suggest that they are at least actively planning to make an important signing in the summer.

Rayan Ait Nouri high on Liverpool’s shortlist

There are a number of interesting candidates for Liverpool to assess as Robertson’s long-term replacement.

Alphonso Davies looks likely to be on the market as a free signing and until the Canadian commits his future to either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, Liverpool will remain an option for him.

Then there’s Milos Kerkez. After an eye-catching half-season with Bournemouth, there have been claims that Kerkez is Liverpool’s top target for left-back.

One outlet pushing that claim is The i, who report that Kerkez is favouring a move to Liverpool over other interested clubs such as Man United and Man City.

READ MORE: Bournemouth make transfer decision on Ben Doak after claims Liverpool want Antoine Semenyo

However, with Bournemouth reportedly looking for £50m to sell the 21-year-old, there is said to be no guarantee of a deal being done.

As a result, it’s claimed that Wolves defender Rayan Ait Nouri is ‘next on Liverpool’s hit list’ if a transfer for Kerkez cannot be finalised. The Hungarian is said to be the ‘priority’ for Richard Hughes, but Ait Nouri is well in the mix, too.

Ait Nouri should be Liverpool’s top target

Plenty have already been sold on the idea of Kerkez joining the Liverpool squad in 2025.

However, in our opinion, the Reds would perhaps be better off making Ait Nouri their top target instead.

With a contract running out in 2026, the Algerian would be a far cheaper option than Kerkez and at 23 is still young, yet far more experienced than his Cherries counterpart.

Now with almost five seasons of Premier League football under his belt, Ait Nouri has a big enough sample size to show what he could bring to Anfield. Gary O’Neil called Ait Nouri ‘extremely talented‘ in November last year and he looks ready to kick on.

As good as Kerkez has been this season, Bournemouth generally have been superb and so his performances have been under the spotlight. We still prefer Ait Nouri.