Liverpool in the 2025-26 season will look almost entirely unrecognisable. The remnants of Jürgen Klopp’s golden era are being systematically dismantled, painting a stark picture of the sweeping transition under head coach Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes. With stalwarts like Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah absolute certainties to depart—the latter having reached a mutual agreement to rip up his eye-watering £400k-a-week contract a full year ahead of schedule—the transfer chatter surrounding goalkeeper Alisson Becker is only growing louder.
It isn’t just the marquee, veteran names heading for the exit lounge, either. The local heartbeat of the squad is fading, with Curtis Jones looking increasingly destined to pack his bags this summer. Entering the final twelve months of his deal, the Scouse midfielder has cut a frustrated figure over his diminished role in Slot’s stuttering side. If local reporting from club-connected David Lynch is anything to go by, contract negotiations have hit a brick wall and effectively ceased. Inter Milan have been heavily linked since January, and a switch to Serie A seems the most logical avenue for a player who badly needs a fresh start away from Merseyside.
This looming mass exodus, particularly the void about to be left on the right flank, necessitates a major strategic pivot in the boardroom. Federico Chiesa, initially brought in as Salah’s understudy, is highly likely to follow the Egyptian out the door amid serious interest from Italy. Add to that Jeremie Frimpong’s frustrating inability to stay off the treatment table and his generally unconvincing cameos, and the right-wing berth has suddenly emerged as a glaring priority for the recruitment team.
Last summer saw the club loosen the purse strings to the tune of £450m, drastically refitting the central attacking areas with the headline arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and Alexander Isak. This time around, Slot and Hughes are looking wide. While premium names like Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola have naturally been floated in the ether, Anfield Watch intelligence reveals that the club are quietly doing their homework on a wildly different profile: Borussia Monchengladbach’s Franck Honorat.
Liverpool have actively monitored the Frenchman, dispatching staff to Germany to run the rule over him in person. At 29, Honorat represents a total tactical departure from the Salah blueprint. He isn’t an inverted forward looking to drift inside onto his stronger foot to pepper the goal or thread intricate through balls. Honorat is an old-school, chalk-on-the-boots right-footer who wants to beat his man on the outside and put the ball in the mixer.
It’s exactly the kind of profile Slot has openly admitted is currently lacking, specifically when it comes to providing the right ammunition for a focal point like Isak. The underlying numbers make for interesting reading. Honorat has carved out 45 chances for Gladbach this term, notching six assists and 37 successful deliveries. His 79 crosses from open play put him joint-fifth across the entire Bundesliga.
Since arriving in German football from Stade Brestois for a modest £8m in 2023, the OGC Nice academy graduate has quietly gone about his business as a highly effective, under-the-radar operator, registering nine goals and 26 assists. He is tied down to Gladbach until 2029 after penning an extension last summer, but the player is hardly hiding his ambitions.
Speaking to Foot Mercato a couple of months ago, Honorat didn’t mince his words about a potential step up to the elite bracket. “I’ve spent my time here,” he admitted candidly. “I’ve seen pretty much everything. If I give my all for three months and a Champions League or Europa League club comes calling – why not? It would be a dream for me to play in European competition.”
