Liverpool have made Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane as their top priority target next summer as they line-up a replacement for Mo Salah, according to a report from The Mirror.
The Reds rejected a big-money bid from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in the summer transfer window but it could be a different story next summer. Clearly, the Saudi club want to make Salah their poster boy and will be ready to pay a massive transfer fee to secure his signature.
The Egyptian forward is a club legend at Liverpool and has a contract at Anfield until 2025. It will also be the best time for the Reds to sell him, and they can use the money to buy Sane.
The 27-year-old winger won two Premier League titles with Manchester City and three more with Bayern Munich, and Jurgen Klopp would welcome him to the Premier League once again.
Sane is valued at £56m by Transfermarket but Bayern would demand much more and the Mirror claims that Liverpool are ready to smash their club-record fee to sign the Germany winger.
Good move?
Sane scored 39 goals in 135 games for City. His record for Bayern is also impressive, managing 45 goals in 144 games.
While he is not a prolific goalscorer like Salah, he is capable of scoring over 10 goals per season. Klopp will need someone who can match Salah’s numbers and not just someone who can play on the right wing.
Liverpool signed players on big-money deals who were in their prime, such as Virgil van Dijk, so they could be tempted to splash a similar sum on Sane who has two or three best years left in him.
However, the Reds should utilize Salah’s money wisely. They need to rebuild the squad and invest in young talents, around 21-24 years old, who can represent the club for years to come.
It entirely depends on how Klopp wants to replenish the void of Salah if he leaves at all. Sane would be a smart signing, no doubt, but paying over £80m (the base price Liverpool paid for Darwin Nunez) for him doesn’t make enough sense.
