Klopp identifies Serie A superstar as prime Salah successor but Liverpool facing £130m Real Madrid battle

Liverpool, Real Madrid linked AC Milan winger Rafael Leao

Liverpool, Real Madrid linked AC Milan winger Rafael Leao

Reports from Spain suggest that both Liverpool and Real Madrid are interested in signing AC Milan winger Rafael Leao at the end of the season. 

With the future of Mohamed Salah increasingly uncertain, Jurgen Klopp is thought to be drawing up a list of potential replacements for the Egypt international.

Saudi club Al Ittihad saw a £150m bid rejected for the Salah last month, and reports suggested they were willing to pay up to £215m.

He is Liverpool’s all-time leading Premier League goal scorer and is showing no signs of slowing down. He scored 30 goals in all competitions last season. He has started off well this term, too, netting two goals and making four assists in five games.

While Klopp’s public stance is that Salah is not for sale at any price, £215m would still be a hell of a lot of money to turn down for a 31-year-old.

As a result, the Liverpool manager is eyeing potential replacements. As reported by TEAMtalk, Real Madrid star Rodrygo is one potential option.

It now seems that Leao has emerged as another target for the Reds. With Real Madrid also in the race, however, they have a fight on their hands to sign him.

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Liverpool, Real Madrid tipped to battle for Leao

According to reports from Spain, as cited by Caught Offsideboth Liverpool and Real Madrid have ‘set their sights’ on signing Leao at the end of the season.

The 24-year-old is widely considered to be one of the best wingers in Europe, so it’s no surprise to see two huge clubs vying for his signature.

Leao was in excellent form last season. He scored 16 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions, as well as making 15 assists. This gave him an impressive average of 0.65 goal contributions per game. He also played a key role as AC Milan reached the Champions League semi-finals.

The Portugal international has started off well this season, too, with two goals and two assists in five outings thus far.

Leao will add pace, flair and goals to the Liverpool attack if the Premier League side can secure his services. Similarly, Real Madrid need to bring in attacking reinforcements after the departure of Karim Benzema.

AC Milan certainly won’t let Leao go cheaply though, especially considering he is under contract until 2028. Reports suggest that the Italian giants value the winger at around €150m (approx. £130m).

With that in mind, Liverpool will have to make a huge offer to stand any chance of signing Leao. That being said, if they manage to sell Salah for £215m, they will have plenty of funds at their disposal.

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