Liverpool did well to keep hold of Mohamed Salah in the summer, but they are still planning for the eventuality that he leaves the club next summer.
Al-Ittihad made a reported bid of £150million for the Egypt international before the summer transfer window closed but the offer was swiftly rejected by the Reds.
Reports at the time claimed that the Saudi club were prepared to go as high as £215m for the Liverpool superstar, but the move didn’t materialise in the end.
While Jurgen Klopp was quick to laugh the speculation off at the time, Liverpool will be well aware that the interest from Saudi isn’t going away any time soon.
With this being the case, the club are currently assessing their options ahead of 2024 for how they would go about replacing Salah.
Juventus winger Federico Chiesa was a target for the Reds throughout the summer and they could look to go back in for him in 2024.
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool consider Chiesa to be a ‘solid option’ to replace Salah if the Egyptian international does indeed leave.
Several big clubs from around Europe had been linked with the Italian winger in the previous window, but the 25-year-old ended up staying put.
There’s no denying that Chiesa has had his fair share of injury troubles since joining the Italian giants, but he would still be an attractive option for a side like Liverpool.
With his contract in Italy set to expire in 2025, Liverpool could land a cut-price deal. Juventus signed the winger for a reported €50m back in 2020, but his value has taken a knock since that point.
Liverpool considering other options
Along with Chiesa, Liverpool also have their eye on a couple of other players from around Europe. The Reds have used the European market well in the past and it seems as if they will go down this avenue to find Salah’s replacement.
Reports earlier this month claimed that both Liverpool and Real Madrid are interested in signing AC Milan winger Rafael Leao at the end of the season.
Leao would certainly be an ambitious signing for Liverpool and he would likely cost significantly more than Chiesa. The 24-year-old is under contract with Milan until 2028 and they are said to value him around £130m.
The third option said to be under consideration by Liverpool right now is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo. This deal would be equally difficult to pull off as the Brazilian is highly rated in Spain.
Rodrygo has started in all five of Real Madrid’s league matches so far this season and he is under contract with the club until the summer of 2028.
