Liverpool have identified Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane and Juventus winger Federico Chiesa as possible replacements for Mohamed Salah, according to Football Transfers.
Salah is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, however, his agent Ramy Abbas insists that he has no interest in ending his six-year stay at Anfield. However, the Egyptian international has just two years left on his contract and the report says Liverpool are already making plans to replace him for when he does eventually depart.
It won’t be easy as Salah has become a Liverpool legend since arriving from Roma in 2017. The 31-year-old has netted 187 goals in 307 games to help the Merseysiders win several titles including the Champions League, Super Cup, Premier League, Club World Cup, and the FA Cup.
Salah began the new Premier League season in good form after scoring in the club’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. He has now moved clear of Steven Gerrard into fifth place on Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorers list.
Klopp is keen on Salah staying at the club for the foreseeable future but the German coach knows the winger will eventually leave so Football Transfers says he is already lining-up targets to replace the Egyptian.
The report says Sane and Chiesa are top of Liverpool’s list of targets to fill Salah’s boots. Sane is regarded as one of the best wingers in Europe and has scored 40 goals with 37 assists in 135 appearances for Bayern Munich since arriving from Man City.
Replacement
The Germany international is valued at £66m by Transfermarkt, however, it remains to be seen how much Bayern would want to cash-in on the 27-year-old if Liverpool came knocking.
Chiesa has previously been linked with a move to Liverpool following his impressive displays for Juventus. He has netted 22 goals and recorded 20 assists in 94 games across all competitions since moving to Allianz Stadium.
Last season, despite Juve’s inconsistent performances and results, the Italy international was one of the shining lights as he made 10 goal contributions in 33 games in all competitions.
Chiesa is valued at £34m by Transfermarkt and has two years left on his contract. Given Juve’s financial troubles, Liverpool may be able to bag themselves a bargain if they decide to formalise their interest in Chiesa.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming months. Liverpool aren’t likely to make any move for Sane or Chiesa before next summer as Salah is expected to remain at Anfield for at least another year so they won’t need to worry about a replacement until at least 2024.
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