Liverpool have now held talks over a move for a £80m star, who Jurgen Klopp has previously described as "world-class".
Reds eyeing new forward amid Salah uncertainty
Mohamed Salah hasn't been frozen out by Arne Slot, despite his outspoken comments about the manager, with the Egyptian assisting Hugo Ekitike's second goal in the 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month.
However, the forward's long-term future at Anfield remains up in the air, having reportedly offered himself to three Champions League clubs earlier this month, after falling down the pecking order.
Speaking on The Overlap, Gary Neville insisted the 33-year-old won't sit around and play second fiddle to players he believes he's better than, saying: "Salah will not sit down and watch Gakpo play football, these players don’t sit and watch players that are inferior."
As such, the former Chelsea man, who has been ranked as the greatest Egyptian player of all time, could move on if he isn't restored to the starting XI after AFCON, which means the Reds may need to start thinking about bringing in a new forward.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Liverpool have now held talks over a move for Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr, with intermediaries informing them the Brazilian would now be interested in a move to the Premier League.
Vinicius is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract with the Spanish side, but Florentino Perez remains hesitant to sanction a departure, and a move is unlikely in the January transfer window, as per a TEAMtalk source, who said: "Vini and Rodrygo are huge players for this club, and Florentino Perez does not want either to leave.
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts
"Both are different situations, Vini’s is about his contract and Rodrygo about his squad role – but as we get to January, the expectation is that both will be staying."
Vinicius Jr could be statement signing for Liverpool
With it recently being revealed Madrid could demand £80m for the Brazil international, a deal could be on the expensive side, but it could be worth paying a fee in that ballpark, given that he has established himself as one of the world's best wingers.
Klopp has also personally lauded the Madrid star in the past, describing him as "world-class", and he has been prolific throughout his time with the La Liga heavyweights, amassing 111 goals and 91 assists in 346 outings.
The 25-year-old would not be a like-for-like replacement for Salah, given that he most commonly plays on the left-wing, but the opportunity to sign a forward of his calibre is simply too good to turn down.
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Liverpool have now made this £66m star a top target heading into 2026, who could be an upgrade on going after Marc Guehi.
As such, if Real Madrid are unable to agree a new contract with Vinicius Jr, Liverpool should make a move in the summer transfer window.