Liverpool line up former Man City star to replace Salah

Stuart Telford

• 15 Oct 2023 11:03 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool are resigned to losing Mohamed Salah to the Saudi Pro League next summer, and have lined up Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane as his replacement.

Liverpool rejected a £150 million bid for Salah from Al-Ittihad at the end of the summer transfer window, but Saudi Pro League clubs are expected to come back in for him next summer as they look to make the Egyptian the poster boy of the league.

Salah hasn't let that distraction keep him from performing this season, with five goals and four assists in his eight Premier League outings so far, but his attacking output will need replaced.

READ: Sensational Salah revelation! Liverpool star thought about 'parting ways'

Liverpool have drafted a contingency plan, and it has former City star Sane front and centre.

"Liverpool have made Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane their No.1 target to replace Mo Salah," reports the Mirror's John Richardson. "And they are ready to smash their club transfer record of £80m for Darwin Nunez in order to land the Germany winger."

Sane in top form

Should Liverpool receive £150m or more for Salah, they would surely have the budget to sign Sane, who is valued at €44.9m (£38.9m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.

READ: Bayern star Leroy Sane linked with sensational Premier League return

Sane is enjoying his best season yet at Bayern having joined them from City in 2020, with six goals from his seven Bundesliga games so far - four of which have been assisted by Harry Kane.

A left-footed right winger like Salah, who is now producing the goals, Sane is also three-and-a-half years the Egyptian's junior, and could be an ideal replacement.

If he keeps up his form this season, his asking price could climb closer to the ETV high of €77.1m (£66.9m) it was when Bayern paid just €49m for him in three summers ago.

Sane has regularly been linked with a move back to the England. His wife is British and Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle are among those to have been credited with an interest in recent seasons.