Liverpool did well to keep Mohamed Salah this summer, but they are still planning in case he leaves the club next summer.
Al-Ittihad reportedly made a £150million bid for the Egypt international before the summer transfer window closed, but the offer was quickly rejected by the Reds.
While Jürgen Klopp was quick to laugh off the speculation at the time, Liverpool are well aware that Saudi Arabia’s interest will not wane any time soon.
With this in mind, the club is currently reviewing their options ahead of 2024 on how they would replace Salah.
According to reports from Spain, Liverpool view Chiesa as a “strong option” to replace Salah if the Egypt international does indeed leave. Several big clubs across Europe had been linked with the Italian winger in the previous window, but the 25-year-old ultimately stuck around.
There’s no denying that Chiesa has had his fair share of injury problems since joining the Italian giants, but he would still be an interesting option for a team like Liverpool.
With his contract in Italy expiring in 2025, Liverpool could get a deal done.
Juventus signed the winger in 2020 for an estimated €50 million, but his value has taken a hit since then.
Liverpool are considering other options
In addition to Chiesa, Liverpool also have other players from across Europe in their sights. The Reds have made good use of the European market in the past and it looks like they will take this route to find Salah’s replacement.
Leao would certainly be an ambitious signing for Liverpool and would probably cost a lot more than Chiesa. The 24-year-old is under contract with Milan until 2028 and is said to be worth around £130m.
The third option Liverpool are currently considering is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo. This deal could be equally difficult to conclude given that the Brazilian is highly regarded in Spain.
Rodrygo has started all five of Real Madrid’s league matches so far this season and is under contract with the club until the summer of 2028.
Liverpool will carefully consider all three options over the coming months as Klopp prepares for the possibility of life without Salah.
