Leroy Sane Not Liverpool’s “No. 1” Option to Replace Mo Salah
Rumours have been circulating that Liverpool have made Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane their “No. 1” option to replace Mo Salah, but supporters shouldn’t believe the rumours. Despite Michael Emenalo, the Saudi Pro League’s director of football, calling Salah a “personal favourite”, the Egyptian is committed to Liverpool and his work ethic can’t be questioned.
Inevitably, any half-decent winger with a good left foot will be linked to Liverpool in the coming months, and former-Man City man Sane has become the latest. The Sunday Mirror’s sports correspondent, John Richardson, claimed: “Liverpool have made Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane their No.1 target to replace Mo Salah.” However, how reliable this report is should be questioned as Richardson doesn’t have a history of accurate Liverpool stories.
The Sunday Mirror is a national newspaper but, for Richardson to have this story, it’s unlikely it came from Merseyside. It is most likely that the claim came from Sane’s agent or somebody with ulterior motives to Liverpool’s. The Reds are planning for life after Salah with younger players and it would make no sense to offer a big contract to someone who will be past his peak in just a few years. Despite Sane about to turn 28 years old in January, the journalist added that the Reds “are ready to smash their club transfer record” for the German – something that clearly won’t be happening.
Whether the story is entirely correct or not, Sane is widely seen as one of the most talented wingers in the world and has already proved his worth in the Premier League. He moved to Bayern Munich in 2020 and has had success, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing. However, he is now coming properly coming into his own and it would be a strange time to leave. This season, Bayern have taken 17 points from their opening seven games and have a new-look forward line with Harry Kane leading the attack. Sane has seven goals already this season in just 11 appearances but, unfortunately, Liverpool fans shouldn’t get excited about a move for this flying winger.
Alternatives could be Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ben Doak or another name that is yet to spring up. While Sane is an exciting prospect, it appears that he won’t be joining Liverpool anytime soon. The Reds are looking for younger players who can fit into their system and Sane doesn’t fit that criteria. For now, Liverpool fans should focus on the players they already have and not get too caught up in transfer rumours.