Liverpool manager Arne Slot is urging the club to pursue Leroy Sane, viewing the winger as optimal cover in the event of Mo Salah’s departure, with two potential strategies for sports director Richard Hughes to facilitate his acquisition from Bayern Munich emerging.
Salah will be down in history as one of the most significant acquisitions for the Merseysiders, having been acquired for a mere £36.9 million from Roma in the summer of 2017. During that period, he has positioned himself among Liverpool’s top five all-time goalscorers with 214 goals, trailing only Billy Liddell (228), Gordon Hodgson (241), Roger Hunt (285), and the iconic Ian Rush (346).
With his contract set to expire at the conclusion of the current season, Liverpool faces a significant dilemma regarding Salah, who is now 32 years old and the club’s highest-paid player, earning £350,000 per week.
All indications suggest the player will renew at Anfield, with Jamie Carragher asserting his desire to remain and former teammate Adrian, a close friend of the player, providing a significant update on the situation over the weekend.
Nevertheless, Caught Offside asserts that Liverpool is safeguarding itself against the potential scenario in which Salah does not consent to an extension of his current contract, with Slot being a significant fan and encouraging Liverpool to go with a bid to acquire Sane.
With the former Manchester City winger’s contract at the Allianz Arena set to expire next summer, reports indicate an increasing conviction that a transaction can be executed, either through a pre-contract agreement in January or by negotiating a low-cost deal to transfer him to Anfield during the January window.
What has Leroy Sane stated regarding his future at Bayern Munich?
The 28-year-old has recorded 48 goals and 50 assists in 175 appearances for Bayern, making him one of the few wingers globally whose statistics are comparable to Salah’s 214 goals and 92 assists in 352 outings for the Reds.
Competition for his signing will be formidable next summer, as Arsenal and Newcastle are already associated with efforts to reintroduce the 65-time capped Germany international to the Premier League.
With Sane among several Bayern players whose contracts are set to expire before the season concludes—Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, and Alphonso Davies are also included—sporting director Max Eberl anticipates receiving a response from this group in the upcoming weeks regarding their intentions to negotiate new agreements.
In an interview with Sky Sports Germany in June, Sane expressed a willingness to consider an extension at the Allianz Arena, stating: “So far, yes.”
“We have not explored the details extensively thus far.” Currently, my attention is directed towards the Euros. We will resume conversations following the competition.
Football Insider now reports that discussions have led Bayern to propose a reduction in Sane’s current annual salary of £17m (€20m / $22.4m), equivalent to £326,900 per week, should he choose to remain. This proposition has reportedly been met with discontent from his representatives, while Bayern appears more inclined to provide a substantial pay increase to the exceptionally talented young player, Jamal Musiala.
This may result in a collapse of discussions and expedite the winger’s possible return to the Premier League, along with indications that a winter window bid for Sane might convince Bayern Munich to sell.
Liverpool encouraged to get Premier League player as a replacement for Salah; Matip approaches next transfer decision.
Pundit Tony Cascarino has recommended that Slot and his team consider a domestic option for replacing Sane, specifically suggesting Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as the optimal substitute.
“I recall mentioning to you that if Mo Salah departed, Mbeumo would be the player I would pursue,” he stated to talkSPORT.
“He possesses numerous attributes; he has objectives, resilience, and consistently proves to be a formidable challenge during every match.”
Acquiring the Cameroon forward would be costly, as the Bees value their player at over £50 million—significantly more than what the Reds would probably need to invest for Sane.
Today, it has been reported that former Reds defender Joel Matip is nearing his next transfer, maybe returning to the Premier League.
The centre-half, who has been without a club since departing Anfield at the conclusion of the previous season, has been prominently associated with West Ham.
It now seems that Matip will select between two further Premier League teams while determining his next decision.
In what ways does Sane differ from Salah?
While it is indisputable that Salah poses a greater goal threat than Sane and ranks among the finest in Premier League history, there are certain aspects in which the German excelled last season.
Dribbles is likely the most prominent, with the Bayern player exhibiting a far more direct approach—challenging opponents nearly three times more than his more renowned colleague.
Sane demonstrates greater reliability in possession, as seen above, and excels in the metric of critical passes per game. All indications suggest he is more of a collaborative contributor than the exceptional solo performance that Salah has been during his tenure at Anfield.
Arne Slot may pursue that direction next, although substituting the Liverpool icon would be more challenging for the former Manchester City player.
