Report claims Liverpool want €85m Real Madrid winger as Mo Salah ‘replacement’ – but there’s one GLARING problem

As Liverpool manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes venture on their quest to find a suitable successor to Mohamed Salah, a report has revealed the name of the Real Madrid winger that the defending Premier League champions have now set their sights on.

Mo Salah signed a new contract with Liverpool in April 2025 that saw him extend his stay at the Merseyside club until the summer of 2027. The ‘Egyptian King’ scored 34 goals and gave 23 assists in 52 appearances for Slot’s side last season, as Liverpool won the Premier League title.

However, Salah is 33 now and has also been in poor form this season, finding the back of the net just three times and giving only three assists in 12 matches in all competitions for Liverpool.

Slot even dropped Salah from the Liverpool starting line-up for the Champions League game against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Wednesday, which the Merseyside club won 5-1.

Liverpool have already been looking at potential long-term successors for Mo Salah, with Michael Olise among their prime targets.

E-Noticies has now revealed that Liverpool have set their eyes on Real Madrid and Brazil international winger Rodrygo.

While noting in the headline that Rodrygo ‘is Salah’s replacement’ at Liverpool, the report has claimed the Brazilian star is one the Reds’ ‘biggest ambitions’.

Rodrygo has fallen down the pecking order at Real Madrid, who are willing to sell the winger for €85million (£74m, $99m).

The 24-year-old has made only two starts in LaLiga and one start in the Champions League for Xabi Alonso’s side so far this season.

Rodrygo has been on the books of Madrid since 2019, and has won LaLiga three times and the Champions League twice with Los Blancos so far.

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MAJOR problem in Rodrygo to Liverpool as Mo Salah successor claim

E-Noticies is a Catalan publication, so one needs to question how they could get information about a Real Madrid player, and that too a major superstar like Rodrygo.

However, Liverpool were interested in signing Rodrygo in the summer of 2025, TEAMtalk confirmed at the time.

Perhaps the Reds are still interested in the Brazilian, but there is one major problem in Liverpool looking at him to succeed Mo Salah.

Rodrygo has played 147 times as a right-winger so far in his career, with 86 matches coming as a left-winger and 84 games as a centre-forward.

However, ESPN reported in May 2025 that Rodrygo prefers ‘to play on the left side of the attack rather than on the right’.

ESPN subsequently claimed in August that Rodrygo’s ‘representatives even held talks with president Florentino Pérez to express this discontent’.

When Alonso has used the winger this season, the former Liverpool midfielder has played him predominantly on the left flank.

Mo Salah plays as a right-winger for Liverpool, who will have to convince Rodrygo to change his stance.

That may not be possible, especially with Rodrygo telling Marca this month that he wants to stay at Real Madrid and will not leave until and unless the Spanish and European giants decide to offload him.

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Latest Liverpool transfer news: Camavinga revelation, Newcastle raid

Meanwhile, sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, about the chances of Liverpool signing Eduardo Camavinga from Real Madrid in 2026.

TEAMtalk also understands that Liverpool could step in for a Newcastle United midfielder as Manchester United start to have doubts over him.

And finally, Bayern Munich are pressing ahead in their quest to beat Liverpool to a major star.

POLL: If you were Rodrygo, which club would you want to join next?