There are odd connections between Liverpool and Leroy Sané. Seldom has a suggested transfer made simultaneously so much logic and so little sense.
On the one hand, Sané is doing well for Bayern Munich each week and has at last discovered the kind of consistency required to be a truly elite player. Like the player he would eventually replace, Mohamed Salah, he is a left-footed winger with right-wing experience. Liverpool will be all too aware of his prior success with a side at the top of the Premier League. He is currently in the final two years of his agreement.
But Liverpool is far from certain about it. First and foremost, January 28th is Sané’s birthday. That may make him the perfect “stopgap” until Ben Doak or someone else can assume the Salah role, but FSG would be paying a hefty salary and transfer costs for a short-term fix.
And while though Sané is currently performing well every week, there are concerns about whether it would hold up if he joined a different team because he has always had a volatile temper. Salah and this situation are very unlike from each other, considering how consistent the Egyptian has been at Liverpool.
In the end, Jürgen Klopp would have to make a lot of compromises to find Salah such a great stylistic fit. Would any of the other eight players make more sense? FBref, however, feels that eight players are a better fit for the Liverpool star.
Moussa Diaby, a Villa star
I’ve been pounding on this specific drum for some time now. Moussa Diaby is one of Salah’s greatest style matches, as you can see just by seeing him play, and FBref concurs, placing him at the top of the list.
Regretfully, the situation is somewhat complicated by his summer transfer to Aston Villa. Despite being given permission to remain at Bayer Leverkusen for an unexpectedly extended period, Liverpool failed to acquire him at a fair price, and the financially strapped Midlands team is now demanding a hefty sum for the Frenchman, who has had a stellar start at his new team.
Malen Donyell (Borussia Dortmund)
It’s natural to think Karim Adeyemi would be the choice to replace Salah when looking at Borussia Dortmund. He definitely has the deception and pace.
Adeyemi isn’t the closest Salah matchup in the Westfalenstadion, despite the fact that he might be a good choice. Apparently, that’s who Donyell Malen is.
Similar to Cody Gakpo, he made an impression at PSV, scoring 40 goals in 81 league games to secure a transfer to the Bundesliga. Malen has taken some time to get used to things, but his production is steadily improving. In his rookie season, he scored five goals and provided six assists in the league; by the next season, those numbers had increased to nine and seven, respectively, and he has already scored three goals this season. He is one of Liverpool’s more practical alternatives, and at 24, he has plenty of time to build it up even further.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Júnior
This one doesn’t require a lot of time to complete. Though he is most likely out of reach due to his unique play style and star caliber, Vinicius Junior is one of the few players that could mimic Salah.
Strangely, despite a report from AS stating that it was finalized months ago, the Brazilian’s new Real Madrid contract has still not been made official. There is a $1.05 billion (£870 million/€1 billion) release provision in that contract.
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres
Sané may not even be the finest former Manchester City winger to take Salah’s spot at Liverpool, it seems. Although Ferran Torres’ unexpectedly short stay at the Etihad didn’t leave much of an impact, the 23-year-old is still someone to take into account.
Despite Ousmane Dembélé’s departure, Torres is still not listed as Xavi’s first choice on the squad sheet. This season, he has scored three goals in the league in just 366 minutes, or around four games.
All those goals have come from the right wing and have been used all around the front line. Should Torres continue to be on the outskirts of Xavi’s intentions, a Liverpool team after the Salah may be an alluring offer.
Asensio Marco (PSG)
It’s reasonable to presume that Liverpool’s Salah watchlist will not include Marco Asensio. When the Spaniard became available in the summer on a free transfer, FSG chose not to pursue the player.
Nevertheless, given that the 27-year-old is still in his prime, there might be a tinge of regret for not investigating that option. After taking a chance, PSG was rewarded with three goal involvements in three games, however Asensio has since been sidelined due to injury.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli
Like Diaby, for Liverpool it’s simply ‘too late’ in this instance. Although Klopp is a vociferous fan of Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal had already established a solid foundation before there was a chance to lure him away from the Emirates.
He extended his contract earlier this year, so it runs through 2027. The 22-year-old’s contract is far from permanent, and Liverpool will undoubtedly keep an eye on him from a distance, but he won’t be able to step in and take Salah’s place at any point.
Sterling Raheem (Chelsea)
This would be really impressive, wouldn’t it? Raheem Sterling is undoubtedly well-known to Liverpool, as the English forward left for Manchester City under controversial circumstances in 2015.
Amazingly, even though he left two years before the Egyptian came, he could still enter and be Salah’s “heir.” That emphasizes how young Sterling was at Anfield when he made his breakthrough.
However, Liverpool would have considered this idea last summer, before to Sterling’s transfer to Chelsea, if they were going to consider it at all. He would not be a long-term option, and it would not be worth the possible backlash given that he turns 29 later this year.
