On May 28, 2022, Real Madrid secured a record-extending 14th Champions League trophy after batting away a Liverpool onslaught, leaving Jurgen Klopp's side in disbelief as their final chance to cherry-top a stunning season faded away like mist.
It was a poignantly bitter end to what, just one week earlier, tantalised to be a campaign of unprecedented brilliance, with Liverpool's hopes of a historic quadruple thwarted by Manchester City and Real Madrid's inevitability.
After the continental finale in Paris, Klopp declared to reporters that his squad would "go again", but the following year, last season, the Reds could not ignite the gas and toiled throughout a calamitous campaign.
Indeed, finishing fifth in the Premier League after dreadful form and a complete loss of cohesion, the Anfield side were rebuked for their "woeful" – as was said by journalist Caoimhe O'Neill – seasonal collapse, albeit salvaging Europa League football with improved performances and results to close the year.
It was a team at the end of its life force, an odyssey stretching too long without meaningful replenishment, resulting in weary legs and stagnancy.
In August 2022, it had been four years since a centre-midfielder other than Thiago Alcantara had been signed, and the deadline day panic buy of Arthur Melo (who played 13 competitive minutes for Liverpool) encapsulated the inept approach on the transfer front.
It all could have been so different, if only the Merseyside outfit succeeded in their pursuit of France prodigy Aurelien Tchouameni, but Los Blancos' trophy-winning victory over Liverpool was always going to pave an irrevocable path for the holding midfielder.
Did Aurelien Tchouameni nearly sign for Liverpool?
Liverpool's refusal to sign a midfielder last summer and ultimately opt for Arthur in a stop-gap move was perhaps an obstinate way of throwing the toys out of the pram after failing to sign Tchouameni, who was viewed as the perfect successor to Fabinho's position as the No. 6.
Indeed, according to multiple sources – including transfer guru Fabrizio Romano – Liverpool were in contention for the player's signature, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, though Real Madrid were always the favourites to secure his services.
However, Liverpool's pursuit would ultimately prove fruitless, with Real Madrid securing a €100m (£85m) transfer for the latest Monaco sensation, praised as "world-class" by Transfermarkt's Stefan Bienkowski.
While the prospect of playing under Klopp at Liverpool was undoubtedly enticing, the sway of the Santiago Bernabeu proved too much, especially after Vinicius Junior's goal sank the Anfield ship.
For those of an Anfield persuasion, it comes as a great shame that they were not able to get the deal done for a player who would have made a greater impact last term than Jude Bellingham, who was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool before the club withdrew from the race for his name in April.
This is largely due to the need for comprehensive change, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch instead being landed to restore the midfield.
How good is Aurelien Tchouameni?
Not only would Liverpool have upgraded on Fabinho – who had an "awful" season at the epicentre of Anfield's demise, according to pundit Jamie Carragher – but they would have procured a new central focal point to transform the entire team.
His particular set of skills would have been a better fit than Bellingham's last season, as contentious as that may sound as the England international obliterates defences with ease after emulating Tchouameni's move to Madrid.
One of the most imperturbable presences on the ball and a superlative and tenacious defensive cog, the Frenchman ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 2% for interceptions, the top 6% for clearances, the top 20% for tackles and the top 10% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.
Most comparable players to Aurelien Tchouameni (via FBref)
Arsenal's Thomas Partey (1)
Manchester City's Rodri (2)
Chelsea's Moises Caicedo (4)
Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (6)
Arsenal's Declan Rice (7)
Given the names that the £205k-per-week is likened to, it's clear that Liverpool would have secured the services of a midfield machine custom-made for the rigours of Premier League football.
The "superb talent" – as dubbed by Rio Ferdinand – did not enjoy the incredible first year in Spain that many would have hoped, and despite making 50 appearances across all competitions, he was benched for every knockout tie in the Champions League and both semi-final legs against historic rivals Barcelona in the Cope del Rey.
However, the 27-cap international is still young and already boasts qualities that eclipse the lion's share of talented midfielders across Europe; that might not be the case when comparing him to Bellingham, who has been hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Raphael Honigstein.
Moreover, as much as Bellingham is a bona fide prodigy, he is not a defensive midfielder, actually utilised in and around the final third with Real Madrid, and his French counterpart would have provided the steely assurance in the centre to prevent the malaise that seeped in last year.
Bellingham, aged just 20, joined Real in an initial €103m (£88m) deal this summer after rising to prominence in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, and has blitzed into life at one of football's greatest-ever clubs with five goals and an assist across his first four outings in the Spanish top-flight.
There were rumours that Liverpool would return for Tchouameni once more this summer, with The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe claiming that the 23-year-old had remained a coveted commodity on Merseyside, with Klopp earmarking him as he rebuilt his team's midfield.
But after starting all four of Real's LaLiga matches thus far this term, it's looking increasingly unlikely that he will be departing the Spanish capital any time soon, especially after personally distancing himself from rumours in July after liking a tweet suggesting he is not for sale amid interest from the Premier League giants.
Once remarked to be "pure gold" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Tchouameni will long be remembered as a player who could have reinvigorated the Liverpool ranks and prevented a detrimental campaign that has severed the club's illustrious seven-year stay in the Champions League.
And while Liverpool's fortunes look far brighter at present, there is no telling how mighty the squad could have become with such a blistering talent orchestrating the play from the nucleus of Klopp's system.
