Liverpool have the perfect trump card to make an in-demand transfer target reject a move to local rivals Everton. The Reds have been tipped to sign a new wide forward after selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. He has joined the German champions in a deal worth around £65.5million, having informed Liverpool of his desire to leave Anfield earlier this summer.
Diaz still had two years remaining on his Reds contract but was eager to take on a new challenge elsewhere. He was initially linked with Barcelona but the Spanish giants were beaten to his signature by Bayern Munich. It leaves Liverpool searching for a new winger to fill the void and it seems they may have already found the perfect replacement.
They have been linked with a move for Lyon forward Malick Fofana, who is thought to be attracting no shortage of summer interest. He is also a target for Everton, who reportedly saw a bid of around £31.5m rejected over the weekend.
Lyon are holding out for a transfer fee in the region of £35m, according to L'Equipe, which suggests a deal with Everton might not be too far away. However, there is still a chance that Liverpool could swoop in and land Fofana for themselves.
In order to sweeten the deal, they could offer him the perfect welcome gift in the form of the No 7 shirt. It was previously worn by Diaz but is now vacant following his move to Bayern Munich.
Florian Wirtz seems unlikely to take the number, given that it would not really match his style of play. He might be tempted to adopt the No 27 he wore at Bayer Leverkusen for several seasons, which would allow Fofana to inherit the iconic No 7.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool will attempt to hijack Everton's pursuit of the Frenchman over the coming days. They could even offer Tyler Morton in a part-exchange deal, with Lyon thought to be keen admirers of the young midfielder.
The saga could rumble on for weeks to come, with agent Jen Mendelewitsch of Supernova Management suggesting that Fofana's future will not be resolved any time soon.
Speaking on RMC's After Foot, he said: "The price is explained by the fact that everyone knows that Lyon is desperate. There's no one who's going to offer crazy sums for Lyon players.
"We know that Lyon can accept anything, they're forced to sell him. The clubs will come at the end of the transfer window or in the middle of August when things will be transpiring in Lyon to get him.
"I'm not saying he won't leave for much because he has value and a certain price will have to be paid. But today, Olympique Lyonnais is not in control of the offers that will arrive.
"It's not for nothing that Everton's interest is leaking, while Lyon know that the player doesn't want to go there."
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