Liverpool ‘keeping a close eye’ on 10-goal Premier League attacker as Sky Sports man reveals fee needed for January swoop

Liverpool remain keen to sign Mohammed Kudus having learned the cost needed to land the West Ham man in January, and with two other Premier League stars continuing to attract their attention as they contemplate life after Mo Salah.

The Egyptian has scored a blistering 221 goals across his 366 appearances in a Liverpool shirt, but with his deal expiring next summer, the Reds are in danger of losing the talismanic forward on a free transfer. As a result, sporting director Richard Hughes has been charged with scouring the market and identifying a high-calibre replacement.

Liverpool have been in this situation with Salah before. Back in 2022, the player was also nearing the end of his Reds deal, and while they ultimately tied him down to a new three-year contract, the fact that Jurgen Klopp was keen to sign Man Utd flop Antony means the Merseysiders surely had something of a lucky escape.

This time around – and should it come to it – Hughes will be hoping he gets it right and the 45-year-old is understood to be doing his due diligence on several possible options.

One man persistently linked with the Merseysiders is Kudus, who has looked at times unplayable during his time in a West Ham shirt. Signed for £38m from Ajax in the summer of 2023, the Ghana international has scored 16 times in 55 appearances for the Hammers, a tally which includes 10 goals in the Premier League.

Now according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the Reds are pondering a firm enquiry for Kudus, with the Sky Sports reporter revealing the Reds, as well as Arsenal, are ‘keeping a close eye on his situation.

Furthermore, the Reds have been boosted by claims that Kudus feels his full potential will not be reached in east London and that he is open to a possible move across the Premier League.

However, the Irons are unwilling to let the star leave without a fight and Tavolieri reports that any move would require his suitors to fork out the full £85m exit clause in his deal.

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Liverpool keeping an eye on two other Prem stars to replace Salah

That’s a fee the Reds are unlikely to pay in the winter window, though it remains to be seen if the departure of Salah could yet force their hand come the summer window.

Sources have told TEAMtalk, though, that the Reds do have two other transfer targets in mind from within the Premier League: Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth.

Of the pair, Mbeumo perhaps looks the most obtainable with the player’s deal at the Gtech Community Stadium due to expire in June 2026, though the Bees do have a one-year option to extend that.

Both Mbeumo and Semenyo are valued at between the £40m to £50m range by their respective clubs – considerably cheaper than Kudus – though there remains the possibility that if either continue their fine starts to the season, their current valuations could rapidly rise.

Mbeumo, we have learned, is of particular interest to the Reds. The Cameroon international has scored an impressive eight goals and added one assist from 11 Premier League appearances this season and with the player operating in the same inverted right-wing position as Salah, it is easy to see why the Reds might see the 25-year-old as a like-for-like replacement.

In the meantime, Slot is paying little attention to what is being written and said Salah’s future, though has made it clear that he hopes the 32-year-old will remain at Anfield for a good few more years yet.

“Is Salah irreplaceable? That’s not what I think about at the moment,” Slot told the media. “The only thing that I think about is that he’s so important for us scores important goals, works hard for the team and I’m hoping that he can enjoy that feeling (scoring at Anfield) many, many, many more times – especially if I’m here.

“But even if I’m not here I’m still hoping for him that he can do this many more times. He’s been incredible for Liverpool for the past six, seven, eight years.

“I don’t know exactly how long he’s been here, and he’s been incredible for us this season. I hope he can continue doing this for the rest of the season and maybe longer to come. But that’s something up to him and the club to find the idea about the future.”

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Meanwhile, Liverpool have been given further encouragement that Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to remain on Merseyside – for the time being at least – amid claims Real Madrid have now abandoned their quest to try and prise him from the Reds in January.

The Spanish champions are in the midst of an injury crisis in defence having lost both Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao for the season.

However, strong new reports claim Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out an approach for Alexander-Arnold in January, while FSG now have a strong ‘belief’ they can tie the star down to a new deal.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are ready to push the button on the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni after a new report on Wednesday revealed they will use their clash against the Spanish giants in the Champions League next week to determine if a January deal is there to be done.

And finally, a CNN reporter has expressed his wishes for Sporting CP hot-shot Viktor Gyokeres to hold out for a move to Anfield, rather than making the move that many expect the Swede now to make – to Manchester United.

Salah v Kudus compared since start of 2023/24 season