Liverpool have been urged to “break the bank” to sign a “ready-made replacement” for Mo Salah and have also been told to avoid an alternative target.
Salah has entered the final year of his contract and it remains to be seen whether he will commit his future to Liverpool beyond the end of this season.
The 32-year-old has been in superb form at the start of this campaign for Liverpool, scoring nine goals and grabbing nine assists in his 16 appearances across all competitions.
The experienced forward has been heavily linked with Saudi Pro League clubs in recent months, but he is also reportedly being targeted by FC Barcelona and he has ‘asked’ for a huge salary.
Liverpool are being linked with several potential replacements and Danny Murphy has told his former club to “break the bank” to land Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
“On potential Mohamed Salah replacements, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a really good player, similar to Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo in running with the ball with his athleticism and his ability to make things happen, but he’s not prolific,” Murphy said.
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“He’s not a goal threat for entire games. I’ve seen him play live a couple of times, I was at the Euros, I’ve watched him a lot. He’s a terrific talent, but he’s similar to what Liverpool have got in some respects.
“Liverpool have bought Federico Chiesa so we’ll see how he evolves and develops, you know, he’s got few injuries but we’ve all seen him at his best, electric, dynamic.
“To replace Salah, the type of player you want is a ready-made replacement who you know is going to produce the same goods.
“If Vinicius Junior isn’t happy at Real Madrid and doesn’t want to sign a new deal then Liverpool should break the bank to get him because you know he’ll produce the goods because he’s one of the best players in the world. But that’s unlikely.”
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Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also due to be out of contract next year and it’s been claimed that the latter could leave in January amid interest from Real Madrid.
However, a report from Football Insider claims Liverpool have ‘blocked three January exits’ and they won’t let Alexander-Arnold leave.
‘Arne Slot is happy with the composition of his squad and wants to improve it in the new year, rather than weaken it.
‘Football Insider revealed on Monday (4 November) that Liverpool are not considering allowing forward Federico Chiesa to leave the club in the mid-season window. He has been linked with a loan move to Serie A club Como but will be kept on at Anfield until the end of the season at least.
‘Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is attracting strong interest from Real Madrid, has also been linked with a January exit.
‘He is out of contract at the end of this season and the new year could present the final opportunity for Liverpool to cash in – but they want to keep him at the club until the 2024-25 campaign ends.
‘Japan international midfielder Wataru Endo has also been linked with a potential exit. All three are set to have moves blocked in January as Slot sets his sights on success in his first season in the Anfield hot seat.’
