Liverpool playmaker Mohamed Salah found the back of the net four times in Egypt’s resounding 6-0 win over Djibouti on Thursday night, as speculation over his Anfield future continues to rumble on.
Salah, 31, has been back to his best in front of goal this season and has already scored 10 league goals in just 12 matches – over half of the tally (19) he managed in the Premier League during the whole of the 2022/23 campaign.
He scored four in Egypt’s 6-0 thrashing of Djibouti in Cairo to maintain his recent form, which has vindicated Liverpool’s decision to rebuff a huge £150million transfer offer from the Saudi Pro League for the potent forward back in the summer. But even though said offer was knocked back, the former Chelsea and AS Roma star’s long-term future remains uncertain.
It’s anticipated that ambitious clubs from the Middle East will once again try to lure Salah away from Anfield next summer and, as such, the Reds and Jurgen Klopp already have a succession plan in mind.
Mirror Football revealed last month that Liverpool have identified Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane as the perfect successor to Salah, whose sale would, in theory, fund any potential deal for the Germany international next summer.
Sane, 27, already has Premier League experience from a stint with Manchester City and would return to England as one of Europe’s most dangerous forward’s if Klopp and co are able to lure him to Anfield.
One major obstacle to such a deal, though, would be Sane’s former club: Manchester City. According to a new report from Bild, the Premier League champions are also monitoring Sane’s situation in Germany and hold an interest in bringing him back to the Etihad.
While it remains to be seen if Sane would be open to such a move, he continues to catch the eye in the Bundesliga and has struck up an impressive partnership with England captain Harry Kane.
Kane, who joined the German giants in a £100m deal from Liverpool this summer, sang Sane’s praises at the weekend following Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Heidenheim.
“He has great pace and outstanding power,” Kane told Der Rekordmeister, via Get German Football News, at the weekend. “Leroy is probably our best player so far this season. He is fantastic.
“Even today, when it was 2-2, I had the feeling that he was the player who would lift us up again. He is such an important player for us with his skills. Today he made two assists for me again, which is great. I hope we keep this connection.”
