Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is ‘the chosen one’ to join Real Madrid and replace Vinicius Junior in the summer, according to reports.
The Reds are having a brilliant season in the Premier League with Arne Slot guiding them to top spot in the table as they enter the final nine matches of the campaign.
Arsenal closed the gap on leaders Liverpool to nine points on Tuesday night with a win over Fulham but the Reds can extend their lead back to 12 points if they beat Everton in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday night.
It would take a huge collapse from Liverpool to allow Arsenal back into the title race from here and winning the title would help the Reds attract some of the best players in world football.
However, it looks like some of their current players could depart after achieving huge success at the club with Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all out of contract in the summer.
Alexander-Arnold looks set to join Real Madrid but there has been little in the way of concrete updates on Van Dijk or Salah as speculation continues to build.
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And now Madrid-Barcelona.com claim that in a ‘surprise’ twist, Salah ‘leaves’ Liverpool and is set to ‘replace’ Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid.
The report adds:
‘Added to this are several off-field controversies that have caused unrest in the club’s management, where some believe he has lost focus. Since he was left out of the race for the Ballon d’Or, his attitude has changed, raising doubts about his future.
‘In the offices of Santiago Bernabéu, they don’t rule out a departure of the Brazilian if an irresistible offer comes in. Saudi Arabia has already shown interest and, according to various reports, they could be willing to offer up to 1000 million euros (£835m) between transfer and salary. An astronomical amount that would allow Real Madrid to strengthen their squad with several top-level signings.’
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And Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is ‘already working on finding a possible replacement’ and Salah has been selected as ‘the chosen one’.
Salah ‘will not renew’ at Liverpool with his contract coming to an end in the summer and the report continues:
‘The main candidate to replace Vinicius Junior is Mohamed Salah, who has decided to end his time at Liverpool. Salah’s contract ends in 2025, and after several seasons in the Premier League, he is ready to face a new challenge in his career. His signing would be a major coup for Real Madrid, which could strengthen its attack with one of the best wingers in the world.
‘If Salah finally arrives at Santiago Bernabéu, Ancelotti would have a formidable forward line. The Egyptian would occupy the right wing, while Rodrygo could move to the left, his natural position. With Mbappe as the offensive reference, Real Madrid would form a top-level trio, capable of competing with any team in Europe.’