Liverpool transfer news today: Salah to REPLACE Neymar, Reds-linked prodigy BETTER than Yamal
Here are all your key transfer news headlines for Wednesday 6 November.
Liverpool's £83m transfer plan under severe Saudi threat
Liverpool are facing a fierce fight in their battle to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. Saudi Arabia is now calling.
O Jogo in Portugal claims Al-Nassr are hoping to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP in 2025. The Swede is one of the most wanted strikers in world football right now.
And with good reason - Gyokeres has been sensational since arriving in Portugal. He was pretty sensational before that for Coventry, too.
But Gyokeres has been particularly ridiculous this season. He's already on 20 for the campaign in all competitions, having bagged four last weekend.
Interest from Saudi Arabia makes things difficult. Now, it's made clear that Al-Nassr don't want to pay his £83m release clause and would try to talk Sporting down.
The Declan Rice-like midfielder Slot would love at Liverpool
It’s no secret that Liverpool missed out on their No.1 midfield target during the summer transfer window.
There was confirmed interest in Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who opted to stay put with his boyhood club instead of moving to Anfield.
New Reds coach Arne Slot went into the season with pretty much the same midfield options that his predecessor Jurgen Klopp had available to him, although the ranks were bolstered by the return from loan of Tyler Morton.
There have been reports that the Reds would look to do business for Zubimendi again in January but it’s going to be difficult to prise the €60m asset from Real Sociedad in the middle of the season.
And so links have been established with others, including a player Arne Slot will know very well in the shape of Tijjani Reijnders.
Mo Salah to REPLACE Neymar at Al-Hilal
Neymar came off the bench for Al-Hilal’s AFC Asian Champions League Elite group stage match against Esteghlal on Monday but lasted only 30 minutes before having to be replaced.
He posted on Instagram after the game suggesting that it was only a case of severe cramp but it’s unlikely that the all-time Brazil top goalscorer will ever regain the form that made him a fearsome member of Barcelona’s much-vaunted MSN strike force.
With a contract that expires in the summer of 2025, Al-Hilal will probably cut their losses on Neymar rather than agreeing to the one-year option in his deal. That would leave an injury-hit Neymar free to find a new club, rumoured to be hometown side Santos in the Brazilian league or else Inter Miami alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
And Al-Hilal are reported to have Mo Salah in their sights, according to Ben Jacobs, with the Egyptian tailor-made to take Neymar’s No.10 shirt and lead their charge at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe? Thank God Liverpool bought Darwin Nunez instead
Liverpool dodged a £166m bullet and landed a proper striker instead. We love our Darwin.
Kylian Mbappe is not enjoying a productive first season at Real Madrid. That much is clear and has been for a few weeks now.
Real struck a £166m deal all-in to sign Mbappe but talk quickly turned to regret. The Frenchman doesn't seem to fit and even if you think he does, his presence offsets the rest of the team.
He plays largely the same role as Vinicius Jr., after all. And with both in the team, where is room for both Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes?
Then there's the bigger problem - his defensive work. As pointed out by Relovo, Mbappe ran just 8km in the 4-0 defeat against Barcelona. Players typically run at least 10km, especially in a big game like that.
Pressing, sprints in behind, overall movement - all should lead to your highest figures of the season against a team like Barcelona. That was not the case for Mbappe.
Liverpool-linked wonderkid BETTER than Lamine Yamal
Liverpool are after a player who has the potential to rival Lamine Yamal for years to come. For over a decade now, football has been enshrouded in the hegemony of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The pairs' rivalry has dominated Ballon d'Or ceremonies and pretty much everything else.
However, their time is coming to an end. Football is approaching a new dawn.
This new dawn will be led by the likes of Lamine Yamal, who announced himself to the world stage at Euro 2024.
But he won't be alone, and his rival could perhaps be someone who has recently been linked with a move to Liverpool and who already has a bit of a rivalry with the Spanish teenage sensation.