Liverpool have lined up electrifying attacking duo Thomas Lemar and Riyad Mahrez to replace Barcelona-bound Philippe Coutinho if he quits this month, according to the Independent.
The newspaper claim the Merseyside giants have prepared a contingency plan in the even that their Brazilian playmaker departs in the current window, amid a growing feeling at Camp Nou that he could leave next week.
The Independent report that Monaco winger Lemar is top of Liverpool’s shortlist to replace Coutinho, with Leicester City’s Mahrez considered the back-up option in case it fails.
It is said that Liverpool had already been weighing up a move for France international Lemar with a view to bedding him in ahead of the summer, by which point Coutinho is no longer expected to be at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have already had a £75million bid rejected by Monaco and it could take an increased offer of £100million to land him.
OPINION
Lemar is a fine player who had an eyecatching 2016-17 campaign as part of an dazzling Monaco front line that lit up European football. But the eight-times France international has yet to hit the heights this season, with his 18 appearances yielding just two goals and four assists, in stark contrast to the brilliant numbers of not only Coutinho (12 goals and nine assists from 20 matches) but his Anfield teammates Mohamed Salah (23 goals and eight assists from 29 games) and Roberto Firmino (16 goals and eight assists from 29 appearances). Liverpool fans might be forgiven for thinking their club would be better off pursuing Mahrez, who is proven in the Premier League, has a touch of genius to his game and is a consistent scorer and creator.