Barcelona could launch move for Liverpool attacker if they fail to land Erling Haaland: Reports
Barcelona could launch a move for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah if they fail to land striker Erling Haaland, as per reports from Spanish outlet AS.
It is understood that Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland remains the priority target for the Blaugrana. However, club president Joan Laporta has his eyes on alternatives to the Norwegian sensation.
Haaland has a host of admirers across Europe, including the Catalan giants' arch rivals Real Madrid. Manchester City are believed to be leading the chase for the striker and even have a verbal agreement in place as per some reports.
It is understood that the Barcelona board are desperate to present manager Xavi Hernandez with a new forward to bolster his attack. As claimed by the AS report, Laporta has his eyes on Liverpool superstar Salah as the alternative to Haaland.
The profiles of Haaland and Salah are not quite similar. Haaland is an out-and-out striker whereas Salah is a wide forward who likes to operate on the right flank.
However, there should be no debate that Salah has been one of the best players in the world in recent years during his time at Liverpool. Under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage, Salah has been an absolute goal-scoring machine for the Reds over his five-year spell at Anfield.
Mo Salah 2021/22:
220 points
26 matches
8.5 points per match
If @MoSalah maintains that ppm he will break his #FPL record total of 303pts ✨ https://t.co/c13P6m0lNQ
The 29-year-old boasts an outrageous goalscoring record in a Liverpool shirt, having scored 153 goals in 238 games for the Premier League giants.
The Egyptian international has already won two Premier League Golden Boots during his time at Liverpool and looks destined to bag it for the third time this season.
In his debut season at Anfield (2017-18), Salah broke the all-time record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season, scoring 32 goals.
Salah has been a pivotal figure behind the success of the Merseyside club under Klopp. He has won one each of Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with the Reds.
With his deal at Anfield expiring in 2023 and the Reds are yet to make a breakthrough in contract talks. Hence, the future of the 'Egyptian King' looks to be up in the air.
And Barcelona are said to be looking to capitalize on the situation.
Barcelona would be significantly stronger with the Liverpool forward
Barcelona's forward line looks well-stacked at the moment, with Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traoré and Ousmane Dembele performing well. They also have Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay, Luuk de Jong, Martin Braithwaite, Abde Ezzalzouli and Ferran Jutglà all at their disposal.
Arsene Wenger on whether he'd give Salah £400k per week: “You have to look at the medical record of the player. Never misses a game. You would do it.
“Mo Salah, you would do it. From August up until the Africa Cup of Nations, he was certainly the best player in the world."
While a number of these players might not remain at the club beyond this summer, the Blaugrana would still have a pretty solid and deep attack.
It is imperative that Salah could be a brilliant addition to the Barcelona attack. In him, the Catalan giants might find an eventual successor to club legend Lionel Messi.