Barcelona have reportedly registered their interest in signing Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah.
The Blaugrana have started their rebuild under new manager Xavi Hernandez. They look a revitalised unit since the last month or so, winning five consecutive La Liga games including the 4-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Real Madrid last weekend. With the ambition to return to the top again, club president Joan Laporta and Xavi have started planning for the summer transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t ESPN), Barcelona will launch a bid for Mohamed Salah in the summer if he doesn’t renew his contract with Liverpool.
Arguably the best player in the world right now, Salah, 29, has a contract at Anfield until 2023, so the Reds will have to make a big decision whether to cash in on him, or risk him running down his contract and leaving on a Bosman transfer.
As it stands, negotiations between the Egyptian’s camp and the club have stalled for months, and it is a waiting game to see if the forward will commit his long-term future in the red half of Merseyside.
Mohamed Salah to Barcelona—Can the Egyptian take the club back to the top?
Having suffered the blow of Sergio Aguero announcing his retirement prematurely due to a heart problem in December and in the wake of Ousmane Dembele refusing to renew his contract, Barcelona signed Adama Traore, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres in the January transfer window.
While Traore has flattered to deceive, Aubameyang and Torres have combined excellently up front in recent weeks and helped Barcelona move past Atletico Madrid to third in the table.
Yet, Xavi wants to sign a forward in the summer transfer window amid growing uncertainties surrounding the future of Martin Braithwaite, who is expected to seek regular game time elsewhere at the end of the campaign. Moreover, Luuk de Jong will return to Sevilla once his loan deal expires in June.
Braithwaite and De Jong’s exit will leave Xavi with Aubameyang, Torres and Depay as the only forwards at his disposal, thus, accentuating the need for attacking reinforcements again. Mohamed Salah is, thus, a viable target for Barcelona.
Salah has been sensational for Liverpool since joining from AS Roma back in 2017, bagging 153 goals and 57 assists in 239 games so far. He has enjoyed another phenomenal season in England and helped Jurgen Klopp’s side compete with Manchester City for the league crown.
The Egyptian international has been a consistent performer in the final third based on his average of 4.3 shots, 1.9 key passes, 1.8 dribbles and 0.3 through balls per 90 minutes in the Premier League. The 29-year-old has contributed to 20 goals and 10 assists in 27 league outings, demonstrating his class, quality and ability to make a difference for the Reds, whilst completing a healthy pass success rate of 80%. (stats courtesy: whoscored)
Salah is a complete forward who can potentially form a devastating partnership with Aubameyang and Torres in the Barcelona attack. He will certainly add goals and assists to Xavi’s side, whilst bringing in the much-needed winning mentality at the club that has been lost in the last few seasons.
Undoubtedly, Barcelona must test Liverpool’s resolve with a cheeky bid for Salah this summer, as Xavi can use someone of the Egyptian international’s quality, experience and pedigree to take the club back to where it belongs.
