It’s looking increasingly likely that Mo Salah could sign a new contract at Liverpool, although the Reds still appear to have an eye towards life after the Egyptian King.
The Mirror reported on Saturday night that the 32-year-old may be offered a two-year deal at Anfield following prolonged negotiations between his camp and FSG, a compromise which’d satisfy all parties and ensure that the iconic goalscorer doesn’t walk away from Merseyside just yet.
That’d keep our legendary number 11 at the club until he turns 35, at which stage he could still be highly prolific but would definitely be into the twilight of a glittering career, hence the need for Richard Hughes to look towards the future.
To that end, CaughtOffside reported that Liverpool are among several Premier League clubs showing an interest in Kenan Yildiz, who Juventus value at €80m (£66.4m).
The Bianconeri have no desire to sell the 19-year-old, who’s thought to be happy in Turin, although that hasn’t prevented the likes of the Reds – along with Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund – from eyeing him up as a potential transfer target.
Yildiz grabbed attention throughout Europe earlier this season when scoring what Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero dubbed a ‘spectacular goal‘ in the Serie A club’s 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
The Turkish youngster hasn’t been massively prolific in his fledgling senior career so far, with just eight goals in 52 appearances for the Bianconeri, although his adaptability to any position across the forward line could make him an appetising transfer target similar to ex-Juve teammate Federico Chiesa.
Some of the 19-year-old’s underlying statistics make for impressive reading. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 7% of forwards in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and progressive carries and passes per game, as well as pass completion.
Yildiz has the makings of a rough diamond who, if polished in the right way, could explode into a phenomenal player later in his career, even if he’s yet to show signs of replicating the kind of impact that Salah has made at Liverpool.
The ideal scenario would be for the Reds to bring in the Juventus prodigy while the Egyptian is still at Anfield, duly learning from the expertise of our number 11 before being ready to properly step into his shoes once the latter departs Merseyside.
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