As the ideal Kylian Mbappé replacement, Liverpool can buy a 35-goal attacker for just £51 million.

A football transfer involves so many variables that it is frequently a wonder that any agreements ever reach their successful conclusion. The player must be willing to join their new team and be compensated to a level they think acceptable, the buying and selling teams must agree on a fee, and there will always be intermediaries vying for a piece of the action.

For teams like Liverpool, there are additional components of a deal to think about, most importantly whether the player in question will give his or her best effort with a prospective new team and whether they satisfy Jürgen Klopp’s stringent requirements. The length of the player’s contract and its remaining value are both crucial factors from a financial perspective.

The Reds’ director of research, Ian Graham, has previously made clear that it is pointless for the club to approach players with several years left of their current deals as the costs involved would make any such deal a non-starter. Yet the stars could align to put Liverpool in place to sign a highly coveted forward whose contract runs until 2026.

The individual in question is Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig, who had an outstanding season in 2021–2022. The 24-year-numbers old’s will be thoroughly examined by Graham and his staff of transfer specialists, but even the headline metrics paint an impressive picture of his skills.

In Europe’s top five leagues, only six players scored more goals than 19 (excluding penalties) (Nkunku ended up with 35 goals in all competitions and another 19 assists). His league-high 13 goals for a teammate were only surpassed by four other players. Only Nkunku’s international teammate Kylian Mbappé is better than Nkunku in both of the most fundamental attacking stats, yet even wealthier teams than Liverpool can’t afford to recruit him.