According to reports in Spain, Liverpool is considering signing a Real Madrid player to replace Mo Salah in January.
Late in the summer transfer window, Al Ittihad of the Saudi Pro League made a number of offers for Salah, 31, including a sizable one worth £150 million.
The Egyptian has two goals and four assists in five games to start the new Premier League season for Liverpool after they refused to sell their prized asset.
In January, Al Ittihad is anticipated to make another offer for Salah, and Liverpool may be tempted to sell if they are not currently in the title race.
If Salah leaves Liverpool in January, the Spanish outlet Fichajes reports that Liverpool is interested in signing Real Madrid winger Rodrygo as a replacement.
However, it is alleged that Madrid won’t likely permit the Brazilian to leave unless Merseyside makes a “exceptional” offer.
Rodrygo, 22, is regarded as one of the best young talents in football and has 32 goals in 171 games for Real Madrid.
With a transfer value of €200 million (£173 million), according to CIES Football Observatory, he is the fourth most valuable player in the world, trailing only Erling Haaland of Manchester City and club teammates Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham.
A year before Real Madrid acquired Rodrygo from Santos, Liverpool could have acquired him for just €3 million (£2.6 million) in 2017.
According to The Guardian, Elano, a former midfielder for Brazil and Manchester City, convinced Modesto Roma Junior, the president of Santos at the time, to scrap plans to sell Rodrygo to Liverpool.
At Santos, where Elano served as an assistant coach, 16-year-old Rodrygo hadn’t yet played for the first team.
Liverpool’s bid ultimately fell short, allowing Real Madrid to acquire the winger the following year for €45 million (£39 million). And for Jurgen Klopp to finally sign his target in the January transfer window, it will undoubtedly take much more than that.