Liverpool urged to ‘break the bank’ to sign Real Madrid superstar with Mo Salah demand branded ‘unviable’

Mo Salah has been warned he could price himself out of a new contract at Liverpool, with one of the club’s former players urging the Reds to consider one of two replacements for the Egyptian and has asked FSG to ” break the bank” to sign Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior.

Salah has proved to be one of the best value for money signings in Premier League history, having helped Liverpool win seven major honors at Anfield and has scored a whopping 223 goals in 367 games for the club. However, with his deal expiring at the end of the current season, there is a growing possibility that this could be Salah’s last season on Merseyside.

Salah made those talks about a new deal public earlier this week, dropping the bombshell claim that he is “more out than in” and with the Reds yet to submit an official offer to his agent.

It drew immediate criticism from Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football after he branded the player “selfish”, while Danny Murphy has now joined the chorus of former stars hitting out at the 32-year-old over his demands.

“We don’t know if he’s asking for three years or more money, for example if he wants a four-year deal and more money then that’s not viable for the club,” Murphy said. Boy sports.

The only reason he won’t stay is the club don’t want to pay him the money he wants over the length of the contract he wants, that’s my reading of it.”

Murphy suggests Liverpool may already be scouring the market for replacements and has urged owners FSG to break the bank to sign Vinicius Junior.

“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 is not happy at Real Madrid and doesn’t want to sign a new deal, so Liverpool should break the bank to get him because you know he’s going to produce the goods because he’s one of the best players in the world.”

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However, Murphy is honest in realizing that any sort of deal for Vinicius Junior is unrealistic, although the Brazilian remains unhappy with his recent Ballon d’Or talk, with the award going to Manchester City’s Rodri instead.

Indeed, a report earlier this month claimed that Real Madrid could soon receive a world-record bid worth 250 million euros (£208 million, $268 million) for Vini Junior, with the kind of figure putting him well beyond Liverpool’s reach.

Asked if Liverpool could sign him, Murphy admitted: “It’s unlikely. So you have to try and find those diamonds in the rough. You have to remember when Salah came there were a few question marks. When Sadio Mane came people asked if Liverpool had overpaid Southampton and look what he went on to do.

“So it could be a case of Liverpool going and finding another one of those diamonds in the rough who can develop into a goal-scoring right winger.

“But it’s very difficult to find wide players who have better goalscoring records than one in three. Salah has a goalscoring record as a striker, a proper striker. It’s incredible numbers he produces.

If you replace it, it will either be a brilliant recruitment or it will break the bank, one or the other. Let’s just hope Vini Jr falls out with Real Madrid and wants to join Liverpool!”

Suggesting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could be another option, Murphy continued: “Kvaratskhelia is a really good player, similar to Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo in running the ball with his athleticism and his ability to make things happen, but he’s not productive.

“He’s not a goal threat in whole games. I’ve seen him play live a few times, I was at the EC, I’ve seen him a lot. He’s a great talent but he’s similar to what Liverpool have got in some respects.

“Liverpool have bought Federico Chiesa, so we will see how he develops and develops, you know, he has few injuries, but we have all seen him at his best, electric, dynamic.”

As for Salah, Murphy believes the Egyptian will ultimately end up staying at Anfield with the player’s opinion.

“We will know sooner rather than later what will happen with Salah, he looks fantastic physically and is as sharp as he has been for a long time.

“The way he lives his life, there’s no reason why he can’t continue as he is for the next two or three seasons, what we don’t know is the business side of things.

“I think he wants to stay at the club and he has made up his mind. I think he will stay at the club and so will Virgil van Dijk where Alexander-Arnold leaves.

Latest Liverpool transfer news: Zubimendi hopes grow; The Sunderland striker had an eye on

Arne Slot, meanwhile, will have money to spend in the January window and reports have suggested the Reds have received a significant boost in their quest to finally sign Martin Zubimendi.

The Reds saw a move for the Spanish midfielder falter over the summer, but it has now been reported that he has changed his mind about staying at Real Sociedad, with sources confirming Liverpool are confident they can beat Arsenal for his signature in the January window.

Elsewhere, the Reds are reported to be tracking 17-year-old Sunderland prodigy Trey Ogunsuyi – with the move for the teenage striker potentially facilitated by the departure of one of the Reds’ own attacking prospects.

And finally, Liverpool are reported to have earmarked Lyon star Malick Fofana for a potential move to Anfield amid claims a financial crisis will force the Ligue 1 side to let the Belgian leave for a very modest fee.

All clubs linked with Mo Salah amid doubt over Liverpool contract

By Samuel Bannister

Al Hilal – The Saudi Pro League appear intent on landing Salah again after trying in 2023, and the preferred destination this time would be reigning champions Al Hilal due to their upcoming participation in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Al-Ittihad – Similarly, Al-Ittihad were the club who could have signed Salah in 2023, so expect to see them mentioned again – but despite being in a title race this season, they appear to be in a slightly weaker position in terms of winning the battle to take him to Saudi Arabia than before.

Al-Nasr – There were some whispers that Cristiano Ronaldo wanted Salah to join him at Al-Nassr, and while the validity remains questionable, further Saudi suitors on top of Al Hilal cannot be ruled out.

Barcelona – Always wary of free transfer opportunities and one of the most tempting clubs he could join in terms of stature, Barcelona have been linked with Salah, although other sources have suggested conflicts at the club over whether to pursue the winger or not.

Galatasaray – It seems highly unlikely that Salah would go to Galatasaray, but people would have thought the same for Victor Osimhen – or so argued the somewhat speculative Turkish media when they claimed the Istanbul outfit could tempt the winger with a big contract offer at the expiry of his contract. Liverpool deal.

Inter – Like Barcelona, ​​Inter have attracted plenty of experienced talent on free transfers in recent years and have recently been tipped – exclusively by club-specific outlets at this stage – to join the race for Salah, who previously had spells in Serie A with Fiorentina and Roma.

Juventus – An alternative route back to Italy could be with Juventus, who were linked with Salah a few months ago as a dream target – but the link did not come from strong sources.

PSG – The European team most likely to match what the Saudi Pro League can offer in terms of finances, PSG could make Salah a marquee signing as they are thought to be willing to make him significant offers in terms of salary and contract length.

San Diego FC – A move to MLS would seem unlikely for Salah, but expansion side San Diego FC would have a specific motivation: their owner is Egyptian-born British billionaire Sir Mohamed Mansour, who could charm his native country’s greatest ever athlete with a lucrative offer.