Liverpool told to make $87M January transfer even if Mohamed Salah stays

Liverpool should sign the Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo in January, regardless of what happens with Mohamed Salah amid interest in him from Saudi Arabia.

That is the view of the former Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise, who says Semenyo would add something to Arne Slot's attack as someone with more pace and dynamism than the Reds' current options.

Last weekend, Salah dropped several bombshells in an explosive interview that led to him missing the win over Inter Milan. The Egyptian appeared to hint that his time with Liverpool could be coming to an end, though he remains under contract for another 18 months or so.

It is possible that Salah could depart in January if a suitable offer comes in, but Riise says even if that doesn't happen, Semenyo should be a target for the Reds.

"I mean, he's on fire, and he's a tricky player to play against," the Norwegian told FootItalia. "He would suit Liverpool.

"Obviously, we like to play with wingers taking on players and beating them. We have Cody Gakpo doing that at the moment, but adding Semenyo to that would be perfect.

"He’s a great type of player that we need to sign if something happens with Salah. But even if Salah stays, we are lacking that typical wide winger at the moment.

"Regardless of Salah’s future, Semenyo is absolutely a player we should be looking to sign in January if we can."

Salah spoke at length to reporters at Elland Road and said that his relationship with Slot has completely broken down. He claimed that someone at Liverpool wanted him out of the club and that he had been "thrown under the bus".

Even before that, Liverpool had been linked with a move for Semenyo. The player is said to have a release clause that means he can leave for $87 million (£65 million) in the winter, or $80 million (£60 million) in the summer.

Semenyo started this season well, scoring a brace at Anfield on the opening day of the campaign. However, his form has since tailed off, and he has scored six goals in 15 games in all competitions.

Liverpool.com says: Semenyo is a good player, but he would need to score more frequently at Anfield than he has at Bournemouth to justify such a big transfer fee.

The Ghanaian has impressed and has a lot of skills that Liverpool would benefit from, but his impact in the final third has decreased after a hot streak at the start of the campaign.

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