Liverpool have assembled a late-season surge after a frankly shambolic campaign to put Champions League qualification in feasible distance, but hopes still lie with Newcastle United or Manchester United ceding further territory.

Both aforementioned Premier League rivals hold a game in hand on Jurgen Klopp's men and have one and three-point cushions respectively, but the Reds' six-game winning streak has reminded the top-flight of the calibre that has lain dormant this term, beneath the rubble of an inexplicably woeful year.

There is to be a significant clearout on Merseyside this summer, and with the midfield department needing more than just a paint job, signing someone with genuine fortune-shifting credentials could rejuvenate them.

According to the Daily Mail late last month, Liverpool are alongside Arsenal in eyeing a move for £30m-rated Lovro Majer, with the creative Rennes midfielder indicating that he is ready for a new challenge.

Majer played a starring role in Croatia's 2022 World Cup campaign, and despite struggling for regular minutes could be a dazzling signing for an aspiring outfit such as Liverpool.

Who could Lovro Majer replace at Liverpool?

Majer has forged 37 appearances this season, scoring two goals and supplying four assists from his primarily deep-lying midfield role.

Last season, the 19-cap Croatia international was hailed as "phenomenal" by talent scout Jacek Kulig and dazzled with a return of 11 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, instrumental in Rennes' fourth-place Ligue 1 finish.

As per FBref, the £26k-per-week ace still ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 6% for successful take-ons and the top 19% for assists per 90, highlighting the dynamic, forward-thinking threat he holds at his feet.

There was a time, in the early days of Klopp's tenure at Liverpool, when Philippe Coutinho wreaked havoc with similar flair and guile from the offensive section of the Reds' midfield, scoring 37 goals and supplying 22 assists from 89 outings under the German's wing.

Coutinho was sold to Barcelona for an extortionate £146m, a sale which helped to facilitate the £67m arrival of Alisson and £75m signing of Virgil van Dijk.

But, his creativity in the first half of the 2017/18 campaign helped the Anfield outfit score 84 goals despite only finishing fourth with 75 points, with Klopp hailing him as a "genius".

Majer brings that added dimension to the pack, and integrating with such a talented crop of players will only enhance his own prospects of success, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez all devastating attacking forces.

Much of Liverpool's attacking intent under Klopp's illustrious rule has flowed from the flanks, notably Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, but with Majer pulling the strings in the middle, boosting both the creative and direct threat, the Reds could return to the forefront once more.