Real Madrid Make Move for Liverpool Forward
There were many transfer rumours linking Real Madrid with a move for Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah during the second half of the Premier League season. The Egyptian’s form was so good, he was being compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Having played only one season at Anfield, it seemed unlikely Salah would move to a new team this summer and in recent weeks, the transfer speculation has cooled.
However, in the past 24 hours it has emerged that Real Madrid could be about to sign a Liverpool forward and it is not Salah.
Mane on Madrid Radar
In the Champions League final, following the injury to Salah, it was Sadio Mane who stepped up for Liverpool in attack. The Senegalese forward was Liverpool’s best player and it was he who remained alert from a corner to score Liverpool’s equaliser in the final. Mane also went on to hit the post with a fine curling effort in the second half.
Mane certainly caught the eye in Kiev and it seems as though the Real Madrid scouting staff were very impressed.
According to reports in France, Real Madrid reached an agreement to sign Mane his summer. France Football reported Mane is close to joining the Champions League winners but the resignation of Zinedine Zidane may have put the move on hold.
Mane scored 20 goals in the Premier League and Champions League last season and while that was a great deal fewer than Salah, he remains an integral part of Liverpool’s attack. Jurgen Klopp has been linked with a move for Nabil Fekir in recent days and while the Frenchman could play in Mane’s role, Klopp wants to strengthen his squad, not replace players as they leave the club.
Transfer on Hold
France Football report that Zidane was instrumental in Madrid’s move for Mane but following his exit, the transfer has been put on hold until a new manager has been named. Maybe the new man will decide he does not want to make a move for Mane but with a bid for Salah seemingly out of the question, Mane appears to be Real Madrid’s number one target during this transfer window.
Having dismissed the rumours linking Salah with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, it would come as a huge blow to Liverpool if they were to lose Mane. His pace and direct running have caused defences huge problems this season and he has shown he has the ability to find the back of the net in big matches.
Liverpool have been linked move a move for Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, who has similar attributes to Mane but Klopp would surely prefer to keep his current player and front three intact ahead of the next season.