Forget Gordon and Rodrygo, Liverpool could land this ideal transfer target instead

After Jurgen Klopp announced he would be leaving Liverpool, shockwaves surged through the club’s fanbase and beyond. Even when he bid his farewells at Anfield after the last game of the season, it still didn’t feel like his iconic era in red was coming to an end.

Fortunately for the supporters, Klopp’s connection with the club is deep-rooted and he remains a prominent figure, only this time he’s supporting from the sidelines as Arne Slot prepares for his first season in charge. This new chapter is an exciting but uncertain one so far, as it remains to be seen just how different the team will look in the first campaign post-Klopp.

Slot is looking to put his own stamp on things at Anfield and naturally, the big change on the horizon has cast doubt over some players’ futures. Luis Díaz has been linked with an exit for a while now, with Barcelona reportedly eager to bring him in. Mohamed Salah’s future also remains something of a grey area. While talks have certainly died down over a Saudi Arabia move, the Egyptian is now into the final year of his contract, and at 32 years of age, the goalscoring sensation is due to leave Liverpool sooner or later.

The Reds have been considering new options out wide this summer and have been invested in the pursuit of players like Rodrygo of Real Madrid, and Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon. The latter has snatched the headlines recently with reports of him being denied his ‘dream move’ to Anfield after Liverpool failed to meet the Magpies’ asking price.

According to Football Insider, Newcastle are looking for an eye-watering total package of £100 million for Gordon, who made the switch to St James’ Park from Everton in January 2023, for £45 million. As for Rodrygo, OK Diario recently revealed that Liverpool had a $125 million (£100m) rejected by Real Madrid for the Brazilian, while Sport further report that a new asking price of $161 million (£126m) has been set.

With a combined valuation of more than £220 million, and both clubs proving very difficult to negotiate with so far, Liverpool will have more luck turning their attention to other targets. Gordon is out of contract in 2026 so revisiting their interest in him next year could be a better approach for Liverpool.

The Reds have been linked with several other wingers who certainly fit the bill and could prove to be smarter signings from a financial point of view. The first name on the list is Leroy Sané — talks have seemed to dilute recently but Liverpool have been linked with the former Manchester City star for a good chunk of time now. Sané is approaching the end of his contract with Bayern Munich and contrasting reports continue to counteract each other over whether he is going to sign an extension or not.

BILD recently reported an £80 million fee for Sané, which is still a hefty amount of money but the German star knows the Premier League well and can operate on both the left and right wing comfortably. He could initially replace the exit-linked Díaz before moving across to the right to fill the gap left by Salah. If Salah leaves this summer, Sané can immediately take his vacant spot, while Diogo Jota occupies the left-wing, if Díaz also moves on.

The 28-year-old playmaker consistently hits double figures both in goals and assists and is a readymade Premier League competitor. His asking price is reachable for Liverpool, considering they have reportedly already bid beyond that for Rodrygo. Christian Falk reported back in February that Sané is ‘well aware of Liverpool's interest’ and was waiting for the summer to make a decision. If he does not put pen to paper with Bayern, they may even lower their transfer fee, to avoid the risk of losing him for free next year.