Keita, Minamino and Salah? The players Liverpool could cash in on to fund Mbappe signing
Stefan Bienkowski
- 26 Jun 2021 11:29 BST
- 4 min read
Liverpool will need to make some notable improvements in their squad if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season.
Jurgen Klopp and his backroom staff have already begun the hard work, with the signing of RB Leipzig central defender Ibrahima Konate for no less than £36 million.
However, the Anfield boss will know that more firepower may be necessary to topple Manchester City’s dominance of English football. And the eccentric manager may know exactly which player to buy.
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According to Marca, Liverpool have been watching Kylian Mbappe’s situation at Paris Saint-Germain with notable interest and may attempt to lure the France international to England if the opportunity presents itself.
However, despite Mbappe’s contract approaching its final year, the star striker would still demand a fee north of £100 million for PSG to even consider negotiations. And as such, Liverpool may need to sell a number of first team players before they can offer that kind of money.
So which back-up stars at Anfield could Liverpool cash in on this summer to fund a bid for Mbappe?
Liverpool’s shortlist of summer sales
While Liverpool may have spent much of last season struggling to put together a functioning defence, there’s no doubt that the club could cut a number of players that are simply not up to scratch.
Between the posts Loris Karius and Adrian could and should end up leaving this summer, while central defenders Nathaniel Phillips and Ben Davies are unlikely to play a starring role in Klopp’s team anytime soon. Add to that list unused left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas, who joined the club for around £12m last year, and you already have five players that could easily be sold.
Liverpool’s midfield offers just as many potential sales. The most obvious one is Naby Keita, who has struggled to live up to his £54m price tag at Anfield but at 26 years of age would likely still be an enticing signing for a number of clubs in the Premier League or on the continent.
Similarly, unused squad player Marko Grujic should pick up a decent fee after an impressive season on loan at Porto, while senior attacking midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri could demand a handsome fee after an impressive Euro 2020.
Add to that list useful first team players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Takumi Minamino, who would both likely demand offers from other Premier League clubs, and it’s not hard to envisage Liverpool raising some sizable funds from midfielders that rarely offer Klopp’s starting XI a huge amount.
Up front, Liverpool could easily cash in on youth players like Harry Wilson and Sheyi Ojo, who will likely never prove to be first team starters at Anfield. And, if they’re really desperate or feel a need to push him before he jumps, the club could seriously consider offers from Mohamed Salah, who has continued to bother fans of the club by constantly batting his eyelashes towards Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain.
