Report – Liverpool lead Man City and Man Utd to sign £80million playmaker

Liverpool might be performing very well on the pitch and be on course to win trophies this season, with only the FA Cup out of question, but there are question marks over the future of some of their key players including Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

In the event of any one of them, let alone all three leaving at the end of the season upon the expiry of their contracts, the Reds will have to dip into the market to find potential replacements who can carry forward their legacy.

News – Liverpool will need at least £49.5million to sign midfielder – Report

As per today’s version of The Daily Star (news image below), Liverpool are leading Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to sign talented Dutch playmaker, Xavi Simons, from RB Leipzig.

The Merseyside club view him as an ideal replacement for Salah, should he end up leaving Anfield. The Egyptian is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal and his current contract is set to expire in June.

Simons has been impressing for RB Leipzig since the beginning of last season, initially on loan and then eventually joining them on a permanent deal for £50m.

The Dutch playmaker could be made available in the summer though, should a club make an offer of around £80m.

An excellent addition

Although the report mentions that the Reds see Simons as Salah’s replacement, even if the Egyptian ends up staying at Anfield, signing Arne Slot’s compatriot would be an excellent decision considering just how much versatility he offers.

Capable of playing anywhere across the front line and also as a #10, Simons can provide cover across positions for Slot.

He also adds the ability for the coach to change his tactical system and use someone like the Leipzig man as a false nine.

In the current campaign, the Oranje star has so far netted 7 goals and provided 4 assists in 23 appearances for the Bundesliga side.

Always very highly rated since his La Masia days, it has taken some time for Simons to make a mark in senior football. However, if Liverpool sign him now, they will be signing him at the perfect time and let’s wait and see how it plays out.