Liverpool ‘offer €140m’ for Salah replacement amid ‘weird’ Slot admission as ‘next few days’ crucial

Liverpool have reportedly ‘offered €140m’ for Real Madrid star Rodrygo as a replacement for Mohamed Salah as Arne Slot made a “weird” admission over the out-of-contract Reds forward.

Salah will be able to leave Liverpool on a fee transfer at the end of the season if he fails to agree an extension with the Reds bosses, and with time running out it’s claimed the club ‘is ready to make a strong bet’ on Rodrygo.

The 24-year-old has 68 goals and 46 assists in 261 appearances for Los Blancos and has been a key cog in Carlo Ancelotti’s title-winning machine for the last four seasons, winning three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues.

A report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims the Brazilian has ‘caught the attention’ of Liverpool, who have ‘put on the table an offer of €140m for the striker’, claiming ‘in the next few days there could be progress in the negotiation’.

The report states:

‘The Brazilian, only 24 years old, has caught the attention of the English team for his speed, quality with the ball and ability to make a difference in attack. Faced with the possible departure of Salah, Liverpool is ready to make a strong bet and put on the table an offer of 140 million euros for the striker.

‘This decision shows that the club does not want to be left behind and remains focused on competing at the highest level. Salah has been a very important player since he arrived in 2017, but as the talks to renew do not advance, at Anfield they are already thinking about new options to strengthen the squad.

‘Rodrygo, who has grown a lot since his arrival at Real Madrid in 2019, fits what Liverpool is looking for: a young player, with projection and who can perform from day one. His style would fit well in the Premier League and could take the place that Salah leaves if he finally leaves.

‘With the transfer market approaching, Liverpool fans expect news. The offer of 140 million makes it clear that the club is serious and wants to continue being a protagonist both in England and in Europe.

‘In the next few days there could be progress in the negotiation. For now, Liverpool has already taken the first step and is preparing for a possible important change in its forward.’

MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365
👉 Liverpool: Isak, Rogers among six ideal signings based on Carragher’s demand to ‘enhance’ six positions
👉 Liverpool to ‘prepare to launch massive’ £115m ‘offer’ as Reds ‘lead’ race to sign Arsenal target
👉 When will Liverpool win the league? Earliest, funniest, Arsenal guard of honour, Anfield decider

Salah is on course for the Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals in 30 appearances, six ahead of nearest challenger Erling Haaland, who looks set to miss most of the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

But the Egyptian fired blanks in the Champions League round of 16 second leg loss to Paris Saint-Germain, the League Cup final defeat to Newcastle United and last Wednesday’s 1-0 Premier League win over Everton.

Salah hasn’t gone four games without scoring for Liverpool since he ended a five-game barren spell with a strike in a 2-0 Anfield derby win against Everton in February 2023.

Ahead of the Reds’ clash with Fulham on Sunday, Slot said he isn’t worried about Salah’s blip and insisted it has nothing to do with his unresolved future.

“I think he’s smiled less (lately) because we went out of the Champions League and we lost the final, so all of the players smiled less than when you do go through to the next round,” said the Liverpool head coach. “It has nothing to do with not scoring a goal.

“For me it’s simple. Sometimes the fixture list is more difficult than other periods of the season – so you face Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle in a final and a derby. He hasn’t scored in three, so that’s why he has to score on Sunday (laughs). Hopefully he will.

“Paris Saint-Germain is one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, Newcastle in the final, oof, they were all over it, and Everton, with 10 people in their own 18-yard box all the time, it’s so difficult to score a goal against them – not only for us, look back at all the teams, expected goal value, chances created. Goals scored against is difficult for everyone.

“He (Salah) is completely the same but I know Mo, and you probably know him as well, he lives for goals. It would be weird if he was ‘oh, I’m happy I didn’t score’ but he’s not distracted or like ‘I can’t play football any more’.

“No, Mo knows probably his biggest quality is he can play a poor game and still score a goal. So his head is not all over the place. Not at all.

“Of course he is disappointed with us not winning the final, not going through in Europe. That is why he scores so many goals, because he wants it so much. So, yes, there were probably periods this season he smiled a bit more but that’s not just him, that’s for Virgil, that’s for all the players.”