Liverpool are interested in making a move for highly-rated Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer.
What’s the talk?
According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari the Brazilian has two release clauses in his contract. He will be allowed to leave for £63m but that will be reduced to £21m if Leeds were to be relegated.
Liverpool are interested in the player but face competition from both Barcelona and Manchester United.
Perfect replacement for Salah
With Mohamed Salah considering his future at Anfield, signing Raphinha could be the perfect way for Jurgen Klopp to replace one of Liverpool’s star players.
The 25-year old has been key for Leeds this season and is their top goalscorer with nine goals and three assists. He joined the club in 2020 moving from Stade Rennais for £16.7m, so if he is sold, then Leeds will be making a healthy profit.
However, Salah’s shoes would be big to fill.
The Egyptian’s record is outstanding, scoring 153 goals in 240 appearances, and this season he is looking to pick up his third Premier League golden boot.
Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema along with Salah are the only players to score 20 or more as well as assisting ten or more goals in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
But reports have emerged that he desires a £500k-per-week contract which is more than double some of his teammates. And with Liverpool reluctant to change their wage structure he may not sign a new contract.
He will also turn 30 this summer and many including Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler say that if Salah does want to leave then the Reds should ‘cash in’.
Selling him could fetch a fee of around £90m, his Transfermarkt rating, which means there would be some money left over to spend after buying Raphinia.
When it comes to comparing their form this season, whilst it’s hard to match Salah’s goal tally, there are other areas where the Leeds man comes out on top.
On average he makes 2.1 key passes per game which betters Salah’s 1.9 whilst also making more dribbles per game on average than the Egyptian.
Last year he was described as a “wizard” after excelling for both club and country with The Athletics’ Patrick Boyland calling him “magic”, he certainly looks like a pretty perfect Salah heir.
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