Jurgen Klopp could be about to receive a surprise boost to his transfer kitty in the coming weeks with Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest reportedly interested in bringing former Reds forward Taiwo Awoniyi to the City Ground on a permanent deal.
Ahead of their return to England's top-flight for the first time in 23 years, it is reported that Steve Cooper's side are looking to bolster their attacking options by bringing the Bundesliga star back to England.
The ECHO understands Liverpool negotiated a 10% sell-on clause ahead of his permanent move to Union Berlin last summer, meaning any potential switch back to English shores could see the club handed a decent sum. One report from Sky Germany suggests Awoniyi has a "release clause of around €20m (£17m)" in his current contract.
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Awoniyi joined the Reds back in 2015, after previously representing Imperial Academy in Nigeria, for a fee of £400,000 and he was immediately loaned out to German side FSV Frankfurt.
Though, his career on Merseyside provided more questions than it did answers, with Awoniyi failing to make a competitive appearance for Liverpool due to work permit complications.
In total there were seven loans during his six-year stay, ranging from Germany to Belgium and Holland, in a bid to increase his chances of playing enough games of senior football in some of Europe's top leagues to be eligible for a work permit.
And after a fine individual 2020/21 campaign with Union Berlin, where the Nigerian netted five goals and assisted a further four, the striker's move to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei was made permanent for a £6.5m fee, despite finally securing a work permit in the UK.
However, Awoniyi's decision to join the Bundesliga side instead of extending his stay at Anfield has been vindicated over the last 12 months as he has gone from strength to strength over the course of the season. He finished the campaign with 15 league goals, the sixth-highest in the division.
And if the 24-year-old is to move back to the Premier League, or elsewhere, this summer, it will highlight just how sharp the Reds have become in the transfer market over the past decade. Former sporting director Michael Edwards regularly inserted sell-on clauses during his time in the role, with Awoniyi joining the likes of Dominic Solanke and Ki-Jana Hoever in having a similar clauses inserted in their exit packages.
