Liverpool are reportedly prepared to trigger a club record transfer fee to sign a Mohamed Salah replacement as a star from their Premier League rivals has also been touted
It’s been a rollercoaster few weeks for Liverpool in a rollercoaster campaign. Spells of impressive form have been interrupted by maddening dips, with the defending Premier League champions already enduring nine league losses this term.
Last week’s 2-1 defeat to basement side Wolves delivered a blow to Liverpool’s ambitions of battling their way back into the top four, though the Reds gained some payback by eliminating the West Midlands outfit from the FA Cup days afterwards. But they fell to a 1-0 defeat again in the Champions League at Galatasaray on Tuesday.
With a triumphant defence of their Premier League crown beyond reach for months, attention is starting to turn towards the summer and how the Anfield outfit might bolster their ranks ahead of next season. With numerous crucial players falling short of expectations and others nearing the end of their deals, change looks set to come. Here, the Daily Star Sport looks at the latest Liverpool stories.
‘Ready to pay record fee’ for winger
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Liverpool are reportedly willing to smash their transfer record to secure Athletic Club winger Nico Williams. The Spain international, 23, ranks amongst Europe’s most coveted attackers, with the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea also monitoring a potential swoop.
Williams penned a colossal 10-year deal in Bilbao last year, seemingly dashing the hopes of prospective suitors looking to lure him away. Nevertheless, the agreement contains a release clause that is reportedly set to climb to €100m (£86.5m) this summer – which would represent a club-record fee for his current employers.
According to reports from Spain, Liverpool are prepared to match that valuation to bring Williams to Anfield. Whilst the Spaniard wouldn’t be a direct replacement for Salah – who operates on the right whilst Williams favours the left – his arrival could help fill the goalscoring and star-power space.
Salah’s Liverpool deal doesn’t run out until 2027, but given his poor recent performances, and his mid-season clash with manager Arne Slot, a summer departure seems to be back on the cards, especially with Saudi Pro League clubs circling.
Alternative from rivals named
Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson reckons Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski could prove an ideal replacement for Mo Salah. The Sweden international, 25, has yet to appear this season following a serious knee injury sustained last May, but he notched 10 goals and 11 assists in 50 outings for Spurs during the 2024/25 campaign.
Johnson likened Kulusevski’s capacity to “glide” past defenders to Salah’s and suggested Liverpool could potentially secure him at a knockdown price this summer, with Tottenham currently languishing near the drop zone. “Dejan Kulusevski a replacement for Mohamed Salah? Potentially. You know, you’ve seen him sort of glide past them like they’re not moving,” he shared with BOYLE Sports.
“He definitely has that ability that can create something out of nothing. That skill, you can’t teach that. So he’s definitely got ability. If they were to go down, and he was available on the cheap, then yeah, you could understand why someone would take a risk and why not Liverpool.”
Kulusevski made the switch to Tottenham from Juventus in January 2022, initially on loan, before sealing a permanent move in 2023. Spurs had originally set their sights on Luis Diaz, who was plying his trade at Porto at the time, but redirected their attention to Kulusevski after Liverpool swooped in for the Colombian.