LIVERPOOL TIPPED TO OBLITERATE TRANSFER RECORD BY SIGNING WORLD CLASS WINGER TO REPLACE MO SALAH

Liverpool have been backed to break their transfer record by bringing one of world football’s premier wide men to Anfield in a move that would likely spell the end for Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool already possess a plethora of electric wingers new boss Arne Slot can call upon. Salah is the jewel in the crown having notched a minimum of 23 goals in each of his seven seasons at Anfield.

Luis Diaz has generally been the go-to man on the left flank, though may find his place under threat from Cody Gakpo next season.

Gakpo was primarily played out of position and up front by former manager Jurgen Klopp. Gakpo’s three goals at Euro 2024 place him among the joint-top scorers and have served as a timely reminder that the left wing role – where he’s deployed by the Netherlands – is where he’s most effective.

But despite Slot having an abundance of riches on the flanks, questions over the long-term viability of Salah means he cannot rest on his laurels.

The Egyptian ace has entered the final year of his contract and speculation he’ll eventually move to Saudi Arabia continues to swirl.

The returning Michael Edwards is keen to reward Salah with a new contract. There have also been reports Salah believes he still has plenty left to give at the elite level and a move to the middle east any time soon would be premature.

Nonetheless, Salah is 32 years of age and whether it’s this summer, the next or even further beyond, the time will eventually come for Salah to leave Liverpool.

According to former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann, Liverpool should look no further for Salah’s replacement than Napoli and Georgia talisman, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Napoli superstar the “perfect” Salah replacement

“I like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, I like him a lot,” began Hamann (as quoted by the Liverpool Echo). “I read an interview and his dad said that they need to find a solution regarding his future this summer. Everything indicates that he will be leaving Napoli and that his time at the club is coming to an end.

“It’s a great story because nobody heard of him two or three years ago. He turned up at Napoli and wins a Scudetto playing some absolutely brilliant football in a breath-taking season for the club.

“He’s been on an upward curve for the last few years. He was magnificent at this tournament (Euro 2024). I loved seeing him on the same field with [Cristiano] Ronaldo, who is his idol. He gave him a hug and they had a nice exchange after the game.

“I think I saw a photo of Ronaldo opening a football school in Georgia, and he’s in it as a young kid.

“He’s a guy who makes people go to the ground. He’s a player that people will pay money to watch. When you walk to a ground on a Saturday, it’s players like him that people talk about; that people want to see. He gets bums off seats.

“He’s a very humble guy. He’d be brilliant at Liverpool, and, if you’re talking about Salah replacements, then he’s probably as close to a perfect replacement that Liverpool could find.”

READ MORE: Six Liverpool issues Arne Slot needs to fix next season to turn Reds into title challengers

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia transfer latest

The 23-year-old has bagged 51 goal contributions in two seasons with Napoli and helped fire them to their first Serie A title since 1990 two seasons ago.

Kvaratskhelia’s primary position is on the left wing, though his two-footedness allows him to operate comfortably on the right side too.

The Georgian is seeking a move away from Napoli this summer, with both Kvaratskhelia’s agent and his father recently confirming the player wants out.

Napoli have publicly insisted they won’t sell Kvaratskhelia and instead aim to raise significant funds by selling Victor Osimhen.

But as yet, no club has shown a willingness to paying the striker’s release clause which is understood to be worth a fee in the €120m-€130m range.

Failure to sell Osimhen could see Napoli relax their stance on selling Kvaratskhelia. A move to Merseyside this summer could be viewed as Liverpool getting ahead of the game prior to Salah’s potential exit down the line.

The Reds have shown a willingness to walk that path in the past when signing Diaz to replace Sadio Mane while Mane was still on the books, to name just one example.

Nonetheless, a Kvaratskhelia transfer to Liverpool would be a monumental undertaking and as yet, no talks between Liverpool and Napoli have taken place. Furthermore, a transfer would likely require Liverpool to break their transfer record.

The club’s most expensive ever buy is the £85m (including future add-ons) paid to Benfica when signing Darwin Nunez.

Napoli won’t part ways with Kvaratskhelia easily, with reports suggesting they would demand in excess of €100m/£85m.

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2024-07-04T12:39:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd