Liverpool eye double swoop for Aurelien Tchouameni and Omar Marmoush

The Reds have made a brilliant start to life under Arne Slot with the Dutchman guiding Liverpool to top of the Premier League table after ten matches.

Liverpool have won eight of those matches and boast the best defence in the Premier League with only six goals conceded.

Slot's side are two points clear of defending champions Manchester City and seven points clear of other leading contenders Arsenal, who sit fifth in the Premier League table, behind Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.

And now Slot and Liverpool are keen to strengthen their squad over the next couple of transfer windows after the Dutchman couldn't have wished for a better start to replacing Jurgen Klopp.

Tchouameni was a target for Liverpool before he moved to Real Madrid and now the Reds are back in for the France international as his time at the Bernabeu sours.

A report in Spain claimed on Thursday that Liverpool are 'preparing an initial offer of 60 million euros (£50m) to try to bring him to Anfield' and now Football Insider insists that Tchouameni is 'considering pushing for a Real Madrid exit at the end of this season'.

Football Insider add: 'The 24-year-old is a long-term target for the Reds but they will find a January deal very difficult.

'Tchouameni's price tag remains very high and Real Madrid are unwilling to weaken their squad mid-season.

'Real are preparing for a close La Liga title race with rivals Barcelona and will also face a fight to defend their Champions League crown.

'However, Tchouameni is falling out of favour with club chiefs at the Santiago Bernabeu despite Toni Kroos' retirement and he could be on the move next summer, green-lighting a potential swoop from Liverpool.

'Sources say a move at the end of the 2024-25 campaign is a "realistic possibility" for Liverpool.'

And now Spanish website Fichajes claim that Frankfurt forward Marmoush, who has contributed 13 goals and seven assists in 14 matches in all competitions, is a target for Liverpool in January.

The Premier League side 'are keeping a close eye on the player and have not ruled out making a significant bid to secure his signing' and the Liverpool recruitment team 'recognise the potential of the Egyptian striker and believe that he could bring a new dimension to the team'.

Liverpool 'would be willing to present an offer of around 70 million euros (£58m)' for Marmoush as they look to add more firepower to Slot's side.

Premier League leaders Liverpool face Aston Villa on Saturday evening and former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson reckons the match will end in a score draw.

Merson told Sportskeeda: "Aston Villa are on a bit of a sticky patch now after three straight defeats in all competitions. This is a big game for both clubs. I saw Brighton against Liverpool and they were actually better than Arne Slot's men for the majority of that game. Brighton simply failed to pick the right pass, they were excellent otherwise. Ultimately, Liverpool got the three points which they always do.

"I just don't think Liverpool are playing well enough to get a win in this game. If they give Villa the kind of chances they gave Brighton, the likes of Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins will punish them. Liverpool were really fortunate to come away with a win in the last game, but I doubt they'll have that kind of luck here.

"Villa may have conceded four goals against Tottenham, but that can happen when you play a team like Spurs. If Tottenham are in the mood, they can move the ball quickly and score goals in quick succession. So I'm not reading too much into that scoreline and I really think Villa can cause Liverpool problems in this game.

"Although Luis Diaz netted a hat-trick in the Champions League, I believe Darwin Nunez will return to the starting line-up for this game. I didn't think the first half against Leverkusen was great. That's the problem for Liverpool now, they only play well in patches. They're not firing on all cylinders or playing mind-blowing football, they are just getting the job done.

"Curtis Jones has improved a lot. But I'm not sure if he can start ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai in this game. Both of them are good players. However, as a manager, I think you look at Jones and get the feeling that he can make more of an impact when coming off the bench. Still a top player, I don't see any reason why he won't be considered for an England call-up. Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Aston Villa."

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