Liverpool’s £50m Salah transfer replacement shut down as Anfield uncertainty continues

Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker appeared to have poured cold water on rumours suggesting Liverpool will try and sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as a Mohamed Salah replacement.

The Egypt international sent football fans into overdrive at the weekend when he said Liverpool had not offered him a new contract and was probably “more out than in” at the club.

Salah is approaching the last six months of his Anfield deal and for the time being, it seems the 32-year-old will be heading to pastures new at the end of the season.

Amid this uncertainty about his future, the Reds have been linked with a host of wingers who could succeed the former Roma star in Arne Slot’s side – including Brentford’s Mbeumo, who is reportedly valued at around £50m (€60m, $63.4m).

But former England internationals Shearer and Lineker have advised Liverpool fans not to read too much into such speculation, as the January transfer window draws closer.

When asked about the Mbeumo links, Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast: “You’ll see loads of reports in between. If he doesn’t sign a deal, Salah, then there’ll be loads of reports and they’ll be linked with so many players in between now and then. Agents will be working and pushing their clients here, there, and everywhere. It’s what happens, putting things out into the media.”

Lineker added: “There’s going to be a lot of rumours, isn’t there? I always take them with a bit of a pinch of salt until you see something a bit nearer that’s closing in on the deal. It’s like during the transfer window. Every club is supposed to be after this player and that player, and it’s just best ignored.”

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Could Mbeumo join Liverpool?

Despite the, arguably, dismissive tones of Shearer and Lineker, TEAMtalk has revealed that they are keeping tabs on Bees forward Mbeumo.

The 25-year-old’s contract runs until 2026 but the west London outfit have an option to extend that by a further year.

After losing star striker Ivan Toney over the summer, Brentford will want a sizeable fee for the Cameroon international if he does go.

It is not surprising that top teams are sniffing around for Mbeumo as he has scored eight goals and bagged one assist in 14 appearances for Thomas Frank’s men this term.

The Dane has tipped Mbeumo to play at the “highest level” but whether he will head to Anfield in 2025 is somewhat up in the air.

Incidentally, our sources understand that talks over a new deal for Salah will be progressing in the coming weeks.

Salah to Real Madrid?

Reports suggest that Salah’s agents have ‘offered the player to Real Madrid’, despite their wealth of attacking riches.

Los Blancos have Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Endrick in attack but reports in Spain say Salah’s entourage have contacted the La Liga team over a transfer.

Elsewhere, Reds team-mate and captain Virgil van Dijk is reportedly set to sign a new deal, with his current terms expiring next summer.

With Salah, himself, and Trent Alexander-Arnold on course to become free agents in 2025, the Dutchman is said to be the first of the trio lined up to pen a new deal.

Finally, Liverpool have reportedly expressed an interest in signing long-term Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.

Salah vs Mbeumo in 2023/24