Joe Gomez has already outlined the reasons why the man Liverpool may now be interested in signing as a replacement for Mohamed Salah is the best choice for the team.
After a little lull, it appears like Liverpool transfer rumours are slowly bubbling to the surface once more. There are currently just two and a half months till the January window opens and everything restarts, given that it is the middle of October. Furthermore, speculation is only expected given that Liverpool didn’t leave everything sorted in the summer.
The saga surrounding Mohamed Salah’s future was one of the more significant ones at the end of the summer window. Although Liverpool resolutely refused to sell the Egyptian, there was significant interest from Saudi Arabia. Given the vast financial power that Saudi clubs possess, Salah leaving Anfield for new horizons cannot be completely ruled out.
He isn’t getting any younger after all. It would be more consistent with Liverpool’s policy to deny him an extension than to offer him a new contract because he will turn 32 at the beginning of the following year and has less than two years left on his current contract. Of all, Saudi Arabia may also make a tempting offer that would be impossible to decline.
What would happen to Liverpool if Salah were to leave, though? Who steps in to take his place? It’s a fair question considering how few players in the world of football can match what the Egyptian has accomplished for the team week in and week out ever since he joined.
However, the Daily Mirror claims that the Reds have Leroy Sané in mind as a potential replacement. The report claims that the club is eager to smash its transfer record in order to sign the highly-regarded German international.
Sané, who is around four years younger than Salah, has had an outstanding start to the season with seven goals in 11 games for Bayern Munich and two goals in three games for the Germany national team.
The former Manchester City winger has undoubtedly suffered with injuries at various points in his career. While playing for Manchester City, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which prevented him from playing for more than 50 games and nearly a full year.
However, he has only missed six games at Bayern in the two seasons before this one due to injuries, and he is currently enjoying his greatest run of play since his catastrophic City injury.
Sané is a complete nuisance for defenders thanks to his lightning-quick footwork and explosive ball skills. He is the type of player who would fit right in with Jürgen Klopp’s offensive approach.
Joe Gomez, who has previously referred to the rumoured Liverpool target as his toughest opponent, appears to share this opinion as well. Gomez was eager to commend Sané when asked by the On The Judy Podcast to tell who gave him the longest afternoon: “As a full back, Leroy Sané when he was at City,” he said. “He’s direct. The whole game I knew was long… Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Zaha… those wingers that are direct.”
Few players could replace Salah in the world of football given his calibre, but Sané may be a worthy candidate based on Gomez’s remarks and his early career, even though keeping the Egyptian around a little bit longer is clearly preferred.