How Liverpool could line up with Monaco's Thomas Lemar - both with and without Philippe Coutinho

The Reds are lining up a £90m January move for the winger

Liverpool are looking to make sure of Champions League football next season by taking advantage of the fact that Monaco’s season is practically over, by signing Thomas Lemar.

The French champions are already nine points off the pace in Ligue 1 and out of the Champions League so Jurgen Klopp is looking to test Monaco’s resolve with a £90m bid.

Philippe Coutinho could leave Anfield in January with Barcelona warming up their transfer machine, and the Reds don’t want to be left short for the second half of the season, hence the interest in Lemar.

The 22-year-old’s arrival would leave Liverpool incredibly top-heavy in terms of attacking players, so where would he fit it?

The Manchester City 4-1-4-1

With Lemar joining Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino – not to even mention Adam Lallana – Klopp is tasked with cramming in an abundance of attacking talent. Pep Guardiola had this same quandary at the Etihad this season and this could be the approach the Reds take.

With Jordan Henderson shielding the back four and having the ability to spray the ball forward, and Roberto Firmino as the solitary striker, Mane, Salah, Lemar and Coutinho can play in the more advanced roles. Coutinho has also paid some of his finest football from the ‘No 8’ position and would be able to drop and work from deep, where he would be most difficult to pick up.

A strong defence would be required to play this formation effectively, or a more defensive-minded midfielder than Henderson, and therefore further strengthening would be needed in the long term.

The rapid 4-3-3

Under this formation, it allows room for Naby Keita’s summer arrival, with he and Henderson alongside the deeper Coutinho in a midfield three. This would have Henderson as the one breaking up play, Keita as the midfielder box-to-box runner and Coutinho as the deep lying playmaker.

Then, ahead of those three, where there is plenty of creativity, you would have the quickest front three in the Premier League. Salah has already shown how his pace has devastated defences this season – he is the league’s top goalscorer – and in Lemar you would have more of the same but coming from the left. That leaves Mane playing through the middle, and Liverpool as perhaps the most dangerous counter-attacking side in Europe.

Mane, Salah and Lemar would be a dangerous front three (Getty)

The downside is that Firmino’s conversion to a central striker will take a back seat, although it does mean Klopp would have options of changing things up from the bench which the 4-1-4-1 does not give him the luxury of.

The Chelsea 3-4-2-1

This involves Lemar playing in his old position, as a left-wing back, where he broke into the Monaco side initially, with Djibril Sidibe on the other side. This works as it serves as a solution to Liverpool’s long-standing troubles at left-back… without actually signing a new left-back. They have options on the right with Nathaniel Clyne once he eventually returns from injury being the perfect candidate.

It also gives Klopp that little extra security defensively, which has let the Reds down over and over again since the German took charge. Joe Gomez would slot in well as the third centre back.

As Chelsea have shown this season and last, you need a creative player in the central midfield two – which would be Coutinho – with Salah, Mane and Firmino ahead of him.

The Coutinho replacement

It’s not what Liverpool fans will want, but Lemar could be just a replacement for Coutinho so Klopp isn’t caught short. The Brazilian still wants the move to Barcelona and the La Liga side will be back in for him, and willing to pay more than £100m euros as well.

Lemar would be an ideal replacement for Coutinho’s left forward berth. He does not have the passing ability but he has the pace Coutinho doesn’t have and would be the best they could get to fill the void.