Liverpool have spent big this summer so now they are keen to offload some players to balance the books.

Once they have completed the signing of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, the Reds will have spent close to £300m, meaning they will want to try and earn some money back.

Many of their attackers in particular are linked with a move away, including the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa, with the latter all-but nailed on to go after being dropped from the pre-season tour.

The Italian has attracted plenty of interest despite his limited minutes in a Liverpool shirt last season, although he will not go for much more than the £12.5m they paid for him last summer.

Liverpool: Federico Chiesa left out of pre-season tour squad as Reds 'finalise' £79m transfer	Report: Federico Chiesa’s Liverpool future may now be affected by former Everton player as club prepare bid	Liverpool has 11 players missing from pre-season tour of Asia after Federico Chiesa decision

That being said, even though he barely played, the Reds are said to be keen to replace him, and it appears as though they have already sourced his replacement.

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The Italian has never had a problem with ability and his pace and dribbling skills are nothing short of sensational, but it is his injury problems that let him down.

His skillset is exactly what Arne Slot wants in a winger who will be rotated throughout the season, with Richard Hughes’ job now being to find someone who fits the bill and has a clean injury record.

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Lyon’s Malick Fofana is the player they have identified as Chiesa’s replacement and will reportedly make a move once he has been sold.

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He states that Liverpool are ‘on standby’ and that he is highly rated among the scouting department, making him the ideal player to join.

Chiesa has attracted interest from Atalanta recently and they are prepared to make a move, suggesting that this story could gain significant traction over the coming days.

Fofana is also wanted by Bayern Munich but their priority remains to sign Diaz, suggesting that Liverpool find themselves in a very strong position in negotiations.

Based on the number of clubs interested in his signature, this should be a pretty clear indication that Fofana is a good player and capable of playing at the highest level.

However, due to the quality the Reds have in attack, they need to find a player who has room to develop but does not mind being rotated towards the start, and it remains to be seen whether the Belgian will accept this kind of role.

Versatility is a key strength of the 20-year-old and is something that Slot will appreciate, with Fofana comfortable playing anywhere along the frontline.

He would certainly cost a lot more than Chiesa would go for but at the same time, he also possesses a lot more quality and potential, suggesting this would be a good bit of business all round.