Mohamed Salah, a forward for Liverpool, met with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the owner of PSG, in person to discuss moving to Paris.
According to Sport Zone, a French publication. They assert that Al-Khelaifi and the Liverpool player recently met in Morocco, where Al-Khelaifi is currently representing Egypt in soccer. According to reports, this was Salah and the PSG president’s ‘umpteenth’ meeting.
The topic of conversation is said to have been the possibility of the Egyptian King replacing Lionel Messi at Parc des Princes.
Thankfully for Reds fans, the chances of making that happen are claimed to be ‘difficult.’ Salah reportedly listened to Al-Khelaifi’s proposal, without engaging in the topic.
Worryingly though, contact between Liverpool’s £34m man and PSG is claimed to have been continuous ever since last year’s World Cup.
No more meetings please, Mo
If PSG are looking for an heir to Messi in Paris, then Mo would naturally be their man. The 31-year-old is a similarly brilliant player with a huge amount of star power.
But in reality, they don’t really need to replace Messi. The legendary Argentinian was always something of a luxury player at PSG, despite his excellent numbers for them.
You get the impression that tactically, they won’t notice his absence as much as they would certain other players.
Kylian Mbappe is one superstar they might have to replace soon, though. The France captain has angered his employers once more this week, and it’s possible that he may now be unceremoniously placed up for sale. Liverpool is rumored to be interested.
If Mbappe were to pull off the seemingly impossible and leave PSG, they would undoubtedly need to find someone to fill his position.
Because of this, Reds supporters will be alarmed by rumors of meetings between Salah and Al-Khelaifi. The last thing we need is for Mo to abruptly leave the team before a crucial season.
Of course, if some kind of swap deal with Mbappe could be worked out, that would soften the blow. Liverpool also reportedly want PSG youngster Warren Zaire-Emery which could make things more palatable. But whichever way you slice it, losing Salah would be catastrophic for the Reds at this stage. Let’s hope nothing further comes of this.
How Liverpool could line up against Chelsea on opening day with new signings and Darwin Nunez decision made
With a trip to Chelsea on the first day of the 2023–24 Premier League season, on Sunday, August 13, Liverpool will have a difficult task ahead of them.
The new manager Mauricio Pochettino will be charged with at least guiding Chelsea back into the Champions League, even though the Londoners had an even worse season than the Reds last time out, ending a pitiful 12th.
Chelsea are anticipated to spend a lot this summer after their new owner Todd Boehly oversaw a projected £555.5 million, minimum, shopping binge in his first year at Stamford Bridge last season, bringing in a staggering 21 players. Nevertheless, they will also have to let go of a number of players, including Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount, even though Liverpool’s interest in the duo has cooled.
Of course, the Reds will have a number of new faces themselves when they face Pochettino’s new-look Chelsea, with Alexis Mac Allister the first of a number of expected new arrivals at Anfield. Liverpool will make further midfield signings before the start of the season, while they are also in the market for a new left-sided centre-back.
So with the World Cup winner in line to make his Reds debut at Stamford Bridge, we take a look at the possible side that could line up to face Chelsea on Sunday 13 August…
The England international will continue to play in a 3-2-2-3 formation with Trent Alexander-Arnold advancing into central midfield. At right center-back, Ibrahima Konate will continue to play in his own hybrid role.
In front of Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson make form the back four, which still serves as Liverpool’s first-choice defense. Although it is still possible to sign a left-sided center back, it would be unexpected to see one go right into the starting lineup, especially given that the rumored targets are all of a younger stature.
Two midfield debutants
Mac Allister is set to make his Liverpool debut against Chelsea as one of two debutants in a new-look midfield. Despite Curtis Jones’ impressive end to the 2022/23 campaign, the World Cup winner comes in in the advanced position on the left.
Klopp is expected to bring in at least one, if not two, further midfielders this summer with OGC Nice star Khephren Thuram currently a leading target. While, admittedly a bold call to hand the France international an immediate full Premier League debut, if signed, he can go straight into the starting XI for the purposes of this article.
Capable of playing as a number six and as a number eight, the 22-year-old can operate in the advanced role on the right with Fabinho making up the engine-room trio.
Salah and two others as Klopp faces attacking headache
Liverpool aren’t intending to sign a new forward this summer, despite Roberto Firmino leaving the club at the end of his contract. But the front-line perhaps provides Klopp with his biggest headache with the Reds still possessing five quality senior options.
Mohamed Salah remains one of the first names on the teamsheet and is a certain starter on the right, but Liverpool’s remaining two attacking berths are very much up for grabs.
Cody Gakpo impressed down the middle following his mid-season switch from PSV Eindhoven so we can perhaps expect the Netherlands international, as the man in possession of the shirt, to retain his starting central berth.
That leaves Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota competing for a place on the left. The Colombian gets the nod after a full pre-season, itching to make up for lost time after missing most of last season with a knee injury.
Possible Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Thuram, Fabinho, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.