Could Liverpool’s £96m forward dream come true? And would it be the right move for the Reds?

If Liverpool fans were in the market for an especially spicy transfer rumour to provide an aperitif for Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, then they got exactly what they were after – today’s Daily Mirror reports that the Reds are keeping tabs on Bayern Munich prodigy Jamal Musiala, with the Germany international unable to agree a new contract with his club.

The 20-year-old Chelsea academy graduate is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football, with 32 goal contributions for Bayern last season alone – but current manager Thomas Tuchel has been using him on the bench too often for Musiala’s liking, and contract negotiations that were slated for April have still not begun. That has put Liverpool on the alert, not that they’re alone.

Musiala’s current deal, worth over £85,000 per week, doesn’t run out until 2026 – so if Musiala does decide to force his way out of Bayern, he still won’t come cheap, with Transfermarkt rating him at €110m (£96m). And in any case, while the Mirror reckons Liverpool are keen on a deal, Real Madrid appear to be at the head of the queue, with Musiala’s friendship with Jude Bellingham cited as a factor.

But if Liverpool could persuade the gifted Anglo-German forward to make his way to Merseyside, what would he bring to Anfield, and how would he fit in with Jürgen Klopp’s strategic vision? Would his qualities be worth the enormous financial outlay involved?

Let’s start by stating the obvious – Musiala is a truly exceptional player, and it’s baffling that Tuchel doesn’t seem to see him as a truly regular starter. Granted that he is competing for a spot with the vastly-experienced Thomas Müller, but the 34-year-old is a slowly fading force and Musiala is now ahead of him by most metrics.

Over the past 18 months or so, Musiala has scored more, assisted more, passed more accurately, dribbled far more and better, and even has substantially better statistics for tackles and turnovers. He has surpassed the past master, and while Müller remains an excellent player even at his advancing age, it’s an ongoing oddity that Tuchel seems to prefer to put him on the teamsheet.

It’s even stranger when you consider that Musiala is far more versatile than Tuchel seems to realise – since the former Chelsea coach took over in Bavaria, he has used Musiala almost exclusively as a number ten, slotting in behind the main striker – but over the course of his career he has played plenty of games at left wing and even occasionally on the right. Musiala has the tactical flexibility to play across the front line – and the skillset.

Given his versatility, it’s interesting to consider where he would line up in this Liverpool side. Klopp doesn’t play with a traditional, advanced number ten, so logically you would expect Musiala to slot into the front three – and while he isn’t an out-and-out striker by any means, he could likely play as a false nine, something Klopp has experimented with recently in Cody Gakpo.

Klopp, however, typically prefers his forwards to have a little more muscle and something closer to a typical number nine’s style of play – Darwin Núñez fits that bill, as did Roberto Firmino. The now-departed Brazilian may have been the kind of striker who drops deep to get involved in play and to allow the wide forwards to burst on ahead of him, but he was also used to getting into the mixer and making headed challenges for the ball, which is not Musiala’s strong suit.

So while he could adapt to life as a centre-forward of sorts under Klopp, it would make more sense for him to play wide left – but it seems that Musiala himself prefers to play through the middle. So the German international might be slightly awkward to accommodate, either requiring a new tactical vision from the manager or some amount of compromise from Musiala himself.

But then, if a compromise has to be made, it could well be worth it – Musiala is an exceptional player. He’s a magnificent dribbler with incredible ball control, an underestimated passing range and the skills to play quick one-twos down the channels or in front of an opposing defence, the acceleration to exploit gaps and the finishing skills to make sure he gets on the scoresheet with regularity. Most managers would build their team around him – Tuchel is likely in a relatively small minority that won’t make those adjustments.

It’s also worth noting that some of the same compromises would be necessary at Real Madrid – because both of the slots in Real’s front line that would most obviously suit Real are very much taken. As it stands, Bellingham plays a hybrid number ten/false nine role, bursting between the two more advanced and wider forwards, similar to the role Musiala could play through the centre for Liverpool. Vinícius Junior plays the advanced left position. Those are two of the very few players in the world who are currently better than Musiala.

Of course, current manager Carlo Ancelotti is leaving at the end of the season to take the post of Brazilian national coach – so whoever follows the Italian may have a different tactical vision, and one which suits Musiala better. And given that we’re almost certainly talking about a transfer that would happen next summer at the earliest, it may well be the case that Real can offer Musiala a role he’s happier with.

None of this may come to pass. Bayern still have plenty of time to up a new deal, and may be able to persuade Musiala that Müller’s age means that regular first-team football isn’t too far away. But you certainly can’t blame Liverpool for keeping an eye on one of the brightest prospects in the game, nor could you blame their fans for hoping, even if it’s a little against hope, that it might just happen.