Liverpool are looking at RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, according to a new transfer rumour.
The future of the Reds’ most famous player is still unknown, with no new contract signed yet, ahead of his current deal expiring this summer.
While Liverpool fans will desperately be hoping to see Salah extend his stay at Anfield beyond this season, there is no guarantee that it will happen.
According to a report from Spain, the Reds are eyeing Simons as a possible summer target, preparing a £67m offer for the Dutchman and seeing him as an “ideal” successor to Salah, should he decide to move on.
Is Simons good enough to replace Salah?
Simons is already a top-level European player, despite still only being 21 years of age, so it is easy to see why Liverpool like the look of him.
The Leipzig ace only moved to the Bundesliga side in the January transfer window, heading there for a club-record fee from Paris Saint-Germain, but they may be happy to cash in straight away.
Simons caught the eye for the Netherlands at Euro 2024 last year, registering three assists and scoring in the semi-final defeat to England, while Marco Rose has said of him:
“We know that Xavi is a difference-maker. I said to him right after the game: ‘Great job’. And I don’t mean today’s game, but the way he came back from his injury. The way he worked after his injury and the way he came back, it’s extraordinary after three months.”
Despite all this, Salah remaining at Liverpool and Simons not arriving is still the best outcome for the Reds this summer, with the Egyptian one of the best players in the world.
Almost no other attacking player on the planet is capable of producing such relentless numbers in the final third, and given the way he looks after himself, there is no reason why he can’t remain at the top for the foreseeable future.
Should Salah depart, though, Simon should be a strong option to come in for Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo’s international colleague having the talent to reach an extremely high level over time.
