Liverpool are reportedly readying an offer for Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo amid claims that Mohamed Salah could leave Anfield this summer.
The Reds could need a new forward in the summer transfer window if Salah decides to leave with reports that sides from Saudi Arabia could again test Liverpool’s resolve.
Will Mohamed Salah follow Jurgen Klopp out of Liverpool?
Salah was the subject of interest from Al-Ittihad with the Saudi Pro League side making a £150m offer for the Egypt international, which was swiftly rejected by Liverpool.
There were even reports at the time claiming that Al-Ittihad were prepared to go up to £200m for Salah but the Reds made it clear that the Egyptian is not for sale at any price.
But with Jurgen Klopp announcing that he is leaving at the end of the season it could be the right time for Salah to depart too with rumours of renewed interest from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Pro League director of football Michael Emenalo even hinted in December that they are likely to come back in for Salah as they look to make him the face of the league.
“Mo Salah, like [Lionel] Messi, [Karim] Benzema, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, these are players that when there is a sense of availability for them, we are willing to listen,” Emenalo told Sky Sports.
“But we also understand that Mo is happy where he is at present and in a historic, wonderful club at Liverpool. We respect that very much and we don’t want to come across as putting any pressure on him.
“But if there is any interest to do something, Mo Salah is a player that you want in your league, in any league.
“We respect Liverpool and in this scenario, the initiative to do anything won’t come from us. There has to be an aligned interest from all parties involved.
“It’s a very personal thing, as a player that I recruited [for Chelsea] and I like. There’s nothing I’m saying that is new or ground-breaking – that a player of this level of talent is available and your league wants him.
“If Mo Salah is available, has an interest to come and everything is aligned, I would be incredibly delighted.”
One way they could look to plug the potential gap left by Salah is to sign Real Sociedad’s Kubo with Spanish website Fichajes claiming that Liverpool are now in ‘attack mode’ ahead of the summer and are ‘prepared to launch an offensive’ for the Japan international.
The Premier League side are set to drop a transfer ‘bomb’ worth €60m (£51m) for Kubo but, despite Liverpool ‘determined to sign’ the Japanese winger, the 22-year-old’s ‘desire is to remain in Spain’.
Jose Enrique: I believe Salah will finally go to Saudi Arabia
That could leave Liverpool looking for another option to replace Salah after their former defender Jose Enrique tipped the Egyptian to “finally go” to the Middle East following a “real offer” of £200m.
“If the right offer comes then I think Salah will leave because I think he was actually trying to leave last summer,” Enrique told Grosvenor Sport.
“They were offered something like £200 million for him last summer and that was a real offer!
“When you get an offer like that, usually it means there is already an agreement between the player and the club. I think Salah had already agreed to go and I believe that he will finally go to Saudi Arabia this summer.”
Enrique added: “Jurgen Klopp is leaving so it is the perfect time for Salah to go. There is a new cycle happening at Liverpool and lots of changes, so it is perfect for him. This will likely be the final big contract of his career, so I think he’ll leave for Saudi Arabia.”
