Tottenham’s UEFA Champions League qualification scuppered Liverpool’s pursuit of 29-year-old: Reports
Liverpool considered a big-money move for Tottenham Hotspur superstar Son Heung-min before Antonio Conte's side ensured UEFA Champions League qualification, according to football.london.
There are serious doubts about Sadio Mane's future with the Reds ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. Bayern Munich are looking to sign the 30-year-old, who has just one more year remaining on his deal with Jurgen Klopp's side, this summer.
Mane looks increasingly likely to leave the Merseyside-based club, having already given the German giants the green signal for a move. However, Liverpool will not sanction a move for the Senegal international before bringing in a replacement for him.
Sadio Mane is set to inform Liverpool of his desire to leave the club this summer.
Bayern Munich favourites to sign him, but Reds would demand well more than the €30m price suggested (no official bid yet) and would want to have a replacement lined up before selling.
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Klopp's side have been planning for the possibility of losing either Mane or Mohamed Salah this summer, according to the aforementioned source. It appears Spurs superstar Son was high on the Reds' wishlist to bolster their attack.
Liverpool held discussions about testing Tottenham's resolve with a huge bid for Son this transfer window, as per the report. However, the plan was to make a move for the South Korea international if Conte's side fail to finish in the top four of the Premier League.
Another bonus of Son's goals and Conte leading Spurs to fourth place is that I understand it stopped Liverpool from making a big summer bid to test Tottenham's resolve to keep the South Korean star. I can't believe they would have accepted it anyway. football.london/tottenham-hots…
Spurs ensured their place in the Champions League next season on the final day of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign. If the report is to be believed, it also scuppered the Reds' pursuit of Son.
There is no suggestion that the north London club would have entertained talks for the 29-year-old even if they failed to finish in the top four. The player is viewed as an important part of Conte's plans for the future.
It is also worth noting that Son has a contract with Spurs until the end of the 2024-25 season. It is unclear whether the forward would have been open to a move to Anfield had the Reds come calling this summer.
Son shared Premier League Golden Boot with Liverpool's Salah in 2021-22
Son scored 24 goals and provided 10 assists from 45 appearances across all competitions for Tottenham in 2021-22. It is worth noting that 23 of his goals came in the Premier League.
The South Korean shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Liverpool superstar Salah in the end. However, unlike the Egyptian, there were no penalties among his goals.
Klopp is a long-term admirer of the former Bayer Leverkusen star. However, a union between the two is not on the cards as of now.