Liverpool Transfer News Roundup: Reds battling Brighton for Carlos Baleba; Saudi Arabia eyeing 2024 Mohamed Salah move, and more - August 16, 2023
Liverpool remain keen to add more quality to their roster before the end of the summer. Manager Jurgen Klopp is eyeing multiple upgrades to his squad as he seeks a return to the top four this season.
Meanwhile, the Reds are locked in a battle with Brighton & Hove Albion for Carlos Baleba. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia are planning to prise Reds attacker Mohamed Salah away from Anfield in 2024.
On that note, here's a look at the key Liverpool transfer stories as on August 16, 2023:
Liverpool battling Brighton for Carlos Baleba
Liverpool are locked in a battle with Brighton & Hove Albion for Carlos Baleba, according to Teamtalk.
The Cameroonian starlet broke into Lille's first team last season and enjoyed an impressive campaign. The Seagulls have reportedly submitted a £20 million bid for the 19-year-old, who's tied to the Ligue 1 club till 2026.
Lille want £30 million to part ways with their prized asset, and the Reds are interested. The Merseyside club tasted defeat in their pursuit of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo but remain desperate for midfield reinforcements. They have now set their sights on Baleba.
Saudi Arabia eyeing Mohamed Salah move in 2024
Saudi Arabian clubs are hoping to bring Mohamed Salah to the Middle East next summer, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs.
The Egyptian forward has become a club legend at Liverpool and only signed a new contract last year that would keep him at Anfield till 2025. Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal have been monitoring the player for a while and are likely to go for the kill in 12 months.
The 31-year-old remains a vital ingredient in Klopp’s attacking juggernaut, which lost Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in back-to-back summer transfer windows. However, the Merseyside club could look to cash in on Salah next year rather than potentially lose him for free in 2025.
Saudi clubs are aware that signing the player this year is next to impossible due to the terms of his contract. The Egyptian is likely to make a decision on his future at the end of the ongoing season.
Reds tipped to target midfield duo
Journalist Dean Jones has backed Liverpool to target Ibrahim Sangare and Youssouf Fofana this summer.
The Reds remain in the hunt for midfield reinforcements after their pursuit of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia ended in disappointment. Klopp is expected to swiftly turn his attention to alternate target as the transfer window draws to a close.
Jones told Give Me Sport that Liverpool are unlikely to prise away Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid
"We're now back at the point where they've got to show ambition with a target.
"Beyond Lavia, there's not really much you can do to sign a player of that profile. You can go and test Real Madrid for Aurelien Tchouameni, but you're probably not going to get him," said Jones.
He continued:
"Beyond that, you're looking at players like Sangare, maybe Fofana, who have mainly been linked with other clubs but are still there for the taking. So yeah, a very strange moment for Liverpool but a very important one that they have to get right."
The Merseyside club have signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig this summer.