Liverpool ‘all over’ Kvaratskhelia deal, as journalist claims one other Salah option is being tracked

Liverpool are closely monitoring the market to sign an heir to Mo Salah in 2025, with one well-informed journalist playing down claims that a deal for Omar Marmoush is close to being finalised – but revealing two other targets, including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, are being tracked.

Salah has broken all sorts of records since moving to Anfield from Roma in summer 2017, helping the Reds to seven major trophies in his time as a Liverpool player. But with his deal on Merseyside due to expire at the season’s end, fears are growing that an emotional parting of ways could be on the cards in 2025.

Replacing such an influential player will be far from easy for the Reds and with Salah having finished as their top scorer in each of his seven full seasons at Anfield, many fear it will be next to impossible.

But all good things come to an end, and even if he does extend his stay, at the age of 32, few will question exactly how many more years left at the very top level the Egyptian king has.

As a result, reports on Friday claimed the Merseysiders had ‘officially registered their interest’ in a deal to bring his countryman, Marmoush, to Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, transfer journalist Graeme Bailey has played down such claims – and believes the Reds are tracking two bigger names.

“Liverpool have looked at him [Marmoush], clearly he’s on fire this season with Frankfurt but I don’t think it’s as far along as some are claiming,” Bailey told Rousing the Kop.

“I’ve heard some people say it’s virtually a done deal, I don’t think that’s the case at all. Liverpool have got a lot of irons in the fire when it comes to that right side, I think Marmoush is someone they’ve looked at but I’d be reticent to say he’s their first choice.

“When you’ve got the likes of possibly Kvaratskhelia on the market, let’s not forget that Liverpool have just brought in the second best Georgian player. Liverpool are all over Kvaratskhelia, they know about the situation, there might be a chance of getting him next summer.”

READ MORE – Former Liverpool chief drops worrying Mo Salah claim as ‘entirely possible’ exit route is named

Kvaratskhelia deal would not come cheap; Spain star possible for Liverpool?

Any deal for Napoli star Kvaratskhelia would not come cheap. With Napoli rating the player as one of the world’s top stars, it cost potentially cvost as much as €100m (£84.2m, $108.9m) to prise the Georgian away from the Diego Maradona Stadium.

A more sensible option might come from Spain in the form of Nico Williams and his €58m (£49m, $64m) release clause would need to be paid in full and in one single installment, that would be considered cheap when compared to other players of his ilk and age.

Bailey certainly agrees, adding: “Nico Williams might be on the market. I just think there are options out there that are distinctly more ‘Liverpool’ than Marmoush is.”

As for Salah, the talismanic star continues to deliver for the Reds, serving almost daily reminders of his importance to Liverpool and proving one of, if not, the most consistent player in Arne Slot’s side this season.

Slot himself is certainly not concerned by the player’s attitude, telling a press conference on Friday that the attitude of the Egyptian – and his fellow stars Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, who also find themselves in the same situation regarding their contracts – remains as professional as ever.

“For me, the contract situation could become a problem if the players don’t perform as well as they do at the moment.

“Of course, it’s not sure that if, if, if they perform not as good any more that it has anything to do with their contract situation.

“At the moment all three of them are in a good place, all of them perform really, really, really well and there are ongoing discussions, as Virgil said, with the people he has to talk with, and that’s not me as you know. I talk with him to him about other things.

“Let’s wait and see but all that he said is completely right in that he doesn’t exactly know what the future will be as long as he doesn’t sign the contract yet.”

Latest Liverpool transfer news: Huge Alexander-Arnold sale claims / Chiesa exit links

Salah might not be the only high-profile departure from Anfield in 2025 and he could even be beaten out the Anfield exit door by Alexander-Arnold, if shocking new reports on Sunday are proven accurate.

And a strong new report in Spain claims the Reds will reluctantly agree to sell the Reds vice-captain to Real Madrid in January, though for a sizeable fee, after they accepted defeat in efforts to secure the 26-year-old to a new contract.

A second January exit has also been mooted in the form of Federico Chiesa – a man who some saw as the natural replacement for Salah at Anfield when he signed from Juventus over the summer.

However, with injuries limiting his impact so far, reports in Italy claim a return to Serie A with a side in the bottom half of the table has been slotted for the 51-times capped winger.

Elsewhere, the Reds appear to have finally struck Martin Zubimendi’s name off their transfer wishlist – with a deal for a Real Madrid midfielder starting to gather pace and with one respected journalist refusing to rule him out of the equation.

Salah contribution to Liverpool’s trophy success analysed