Respected French journalist refuses to rule out Mbappé as potential Salah replacement

Kylian Mbappé "would certainly listen" if Liverpool were to enter the race for the Paris St-Germain and France forward. That's the view of respected French journalist Julien Laurens.

When asked on the ESPN FC show about the possibility of Mbappé replacing a potentially Saudi-bound Mohamed Salah, Laurens admitted that while "Real Madrid are still the outstanding favourites", the Reds are in a relatively strong position - at least when compared to their other rivals in England.

“I think Liverpool have a case to put forward, especially if he is a free agent," he said.

Laurens went on to explain that if the Reds were able to come up with the finances, a move to Anfield could prove to be appealing. "He likes Liverpool, he likes what Liverpool have done under Jürgen Klopp," he said, explaining that they may have "a little headstart" over every other team in England.

What's more, his mother, Fayza Lamari, could be a deciding factor: "His mum is a big fan of Liverpool."

Astronomical salary

However, Laurens admits it would nonetheless be a massive surprise if Liverpool were to pursue the 24-year-old - and finances would be the key factor.

History suggests that Liverpool's owners, FSG, would be highly unlikely to part with such substantial sums to finance such a move. Also, there would be concerns about the potential impact on squad harmony if one player were to earn significantly more than the rest of the team.

Currently earning £700,000 per week in Paris, Mbappé's wages are twice that of Salah, Liverpool's current highest earner.

Additionally, while he can negotiate a free transfer from January, it has been widely reported that Real Madrid have already secured a deal to pay Mbappé a signing-on bonus of €125 million (£107.4 million).

A busy summer of speculation

Despite a busy summer of speculation, Mbappé remains a PSG player. However, his contract with PSG set to expire next summer and he has made it clear that he won't extend his stay beyond this arrangement.

As a result, PSG expressed their willingness to offload the forward during the past window, but despite continuous rumours linking him to clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United, the only concrete bid came from Al Hilal, offering Mbappé a staggering €700 million (£600 million) for a 12-month deal.

However, Mbappé firmly rejected the Saudi offer, unwilling to accept such immense financial incentives even for a year of his career.

Though he later reconciled with PSG by waiving a €100 million loyalty bonus, his future remains a subject of intense speculation. Several reports in France already suggest that Mbappé has agreed to a lucrative free transfer to Real Madrid in 2024, making the Spanish giants the frontrunners for his next destination, especially considering they refrained from bidding during the summer due to their substantial investment in Jude Bellingham.

Nevertheless, rumours connecting Mbappé to Liverpool persist. With continued interest from Al-Ittihad in Mo Salah, despite their recent failure to secure a deal, reports are gaining momentum suggesting that Liverpool might consider the cash injection from any Salah deal to finance a move for Mbappé.

But as it stands, a transfer to Liverpool for Mbappé appears to be a distant possibility.