Monaco have emerged as favourites to sign Liverpool’s attacking midfielder Takumi Minamino this summer in a £17million deal.

Minamino’s adviser has been in Europe to broker the 27-year-old's departure from Anfield. And the belief at the club is that Monaco is now his preferred destination despite strong interest from fellow Ligue 1 club Lyon and also Serie A outfit Atalanta.

It means the Reds are set to make a useful profit of almost £10million from the sale of a player they snapped up from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020 having trigged his £7.25million release clause with the Austrian side.

Minamino has been a popular figure at Anfield but has been unable to command a regular place in Jurgen Klopp’s team. He spent six months on loan at Southampton last year. But he returned to Anfield last season and seven of the 10 goals he scored came in the domestic cup competitions as Klopp’s men lifted the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Minamino’s departure means it is unlikely that Klopp will allow Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to leave. The plan is for the club to look to strengthen their midfield next summer when Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner will all be out of contract. Oxlade-Chamberlain made just 17 appearances last season, but Klopp was impressed with his influence and attitude when Naby Keita departed to the AFCON and when there were Covid-19 cases inside the squad.

And although there have been claims that Steven Gerrard wants to take the former England international to Aston Villa, it has been made clear to the midfielder that Klopp doesn’t want to lose him. The 28-year-old, a £35million signing from Arsenal five years ago, has suffered a succession of injury problems during his time on Merseyside. But he has kept himself fit and available over the last 18 months and Liverpool would prefer to lose him on a free in 12 months’ time rather than sell him and be forced back into the market for a midfielder.