Breaking NEWS: With a £60 million swoop, Liverpool might give Salah a permanent new role.
The January transfer market is already underway, and Liverpool have the option of adding to their playing roster if they feel the need to do so.
However, the Reds may decide to postpone their business until the summer if they believe better deals and players will be available.
Raphinha, a Barcelona forward, has been connected with a move to Anfield. He was rumored to be of interest to the club in November 2023, ahead of the January transfer window.
That same month, FootballTransfers reported that Spurs are interested in signing the former Leeds United player, who the Spanish club has rated at €70 million (£60 million).
By clinching a deal to sign winger Raphinha, Jurgen Klopp might free up Reds superstar Mohamed Salah to play in a permanent new role as a centre-forward.
Mo Salah’s striker goal total
In his 34 appearances as a striker for Liverpool, the 31-year-old phenom has scored 28 goals and provided seven assists.
This means that Salah has averaged a goal or an assist every 0.97 games as a centre-forward, rather than his regular position on the right flank.
In comparison, the former Chelsea prodigy has 176 goals and 80 assists in 294 games for Liverpool as a right-winger. This equates to one goal or assist every 1.15 games.
Of course, there is no assurance that Salah will be able to reproduce his aforementioned striker form throughout the course of a season, but it does demonstrate that he has the potential to be very effective there.
Raphinha’s stats demonstrate why she might dominate alongside Salah.
By bringing in Raphinha to line up on the right flank, Klopp might free up the Egypt international to play down the middle on a regular basis.
The Brazil international is a gifted right-sided forward with the capacity to score and create goals at an alarming rate, as evidenced by his performances in LaLiga and the Premier League during his career.
Raphinha has ten goals, 12 assists, and 23 ‘big chances’ produced in 33 LaLiga starts since joining Barcelona at the start of the season.
As shown in the graphic above, the left-footed magician has already established himself as a goal scorer and creator in English football for the Yorkshire-based team.
Raphinha, who AllLeedsTV broadcaster Oscar Marrio once called “unplayable,” scored 11 goals and created ten “big chances” in 35 Premier League games during his final season at Leeds. On average, a goal or ‘big chance’ is created every 1.66 games.
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In comparison, current Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, who plays on the left flank, has three goals and one ‘big opportunity’ created in 19 Premier League appearances this season, an average of one per 4.75 outings.
This demonstrates the improvement in quality that Raphinha might give in the final third, allowing Salah to be a dangerous number nine for the Reds pushing forward, latching on to the Brazilian ace’s fantastic passes and crosses to hit the back of the goal.
