Liverpool: Reds could sign world-class £42m Gakpo partner
Liverpool have three names on their shortlist for if Mohammed Salah leaves Anfield.
One has Premier League experience and currently plays for a top team in Europe.
He’s a “world-class” asset who’d link up beautifully well with Cody Gakpo.
Liverpool supporters will be desperate for a few more incomings before the summer transfer window closes next week, and manager Jurgen Klopp will be assessing his options ahead of that fateful day.
While the Reds missed out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, the astute if surprising signing of the experienced Wataru Endo at least provides some defensive stability after the acquisitions of creative midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai earlier in the window.
Bolstering the attack will not have been at the forefront of Liverpool’s focus this summer, but following revelations regarding Saudi Arabian interest in Mohamed Salah, the Anfield side look to be searching for an heir.
Who could replace Mo Salah at Liverpool?
According to Calciomercato, Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane is being considered by the Liverpool hierarchy to replace the Egyptian phenom, with Federico Chiesa and Karim Adeyemi also on the shortlist.
Valued at £42m by Football Transfers, Sane has entered the penultimate year of his contract at the Allianz Arena, and Liverpool could look to take advantage by testing Bayern’s resolve.
How good is Leroy Sane?
Liverpool will be hoping to produce a more successful season than last time out, as Klopp’s side failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing fifth in the Premier League
While they are adamant that Salah is not for sale this summer, the 31-year-old has also entered the final two years of his deal at Anfield and it is possible he would be sold next year to recuperate as much as possible for such a first-class forward.
Sane, who used to play for Manchester City, boasts creativity and incisiveness in abundance, having scored 40 goals and supplied 37 assists from 135 appearances for Bayern, having once been dubbed “incredible” by former Bavarian boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Having netted twice in the opening Bundesliga match of the current season against Werder Bremen, the 53-cap Germany international now ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals per 90, as per FBref.
Given that he also ranks among the top 10% of peers for pass completion, the top 11% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, Sane’s ball-playing and dribbling skills are showcased and hence underlining the dynamism he could bring to Klopp’s team.
By maintaining his diverse attacking nature, he could find the perfect attacking partner in Cody Gakpo, with the Dutchman’s all-encompassing approach on the pitch aligning with wide players such as Sane’s skills.
Indeed, Liverpool’s £35m January signing has been immense since arriving, and ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe for assists, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 1% for tackles per 90.
Described as “something special” by Fabrizio Romano, Gakpo’s selflessness, creativity and movement would allow Sane to weave inside and wreak havoc, and it truly could be the inception of a “world-class” duo – as the 27-year-old Bayern ace has been called by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Liverpool will lose an irreplaceable asset when Salah does exit Anfield for the final time, and while Sane does not boast the prolificness of his £350k-per-week peer – alas, few do – he does offer a superlative range of tricks and skills to cement a starring role under Klopp’s stewardship and thrive.
And with Gakpo pulling the strings from the centre, the high-octane energy of Liverpool’s frontline might just remain intact.