Liverpool transfer news as Antoine Semenyo favorite named and Reds set for $107M race

Liverpool finds itself in the rare position of having a free week on its hands, although that won’t stop a lot of the talk surrounding the club at the moment.

Mohamed Salah continues to dominate the headlines, with the winger making his way to the Africa Cup of Nations after returning to the Reds’ squad against Brighton at the weekend. Despite successful showdown talks with Arne Slot on Friday though, his future isn’t yet decided after his outburst against the club.

Discussions will continue between his representatives and Liverpool to find a solution, but the Reds may well have to start looking at potential replacements - one such name features in the latest round of rumors.

Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.

Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)

Liverpool holds a “genuine interest” in Antoine Semenyo, but faces a battle to sign the Bournemouth winger with other clubs keen on him, Fabrizio Romano has told GiveMeSport.

Speculation has been growing over Semenyo’s future recently, and it does seem likely that he could be on the move at some point over the next couple of transfer windows.

The Reds are being strongly linked, with the Ghana international seen as a potential replacement for Salah. According to TeamTalk though, Manchester City is the frontrunner to sign him, while Tottenham is said to be prepared to “smash” its wage structure for him.

Liverpool.com says: Although he's not producing the sort of numbers he was at the start of the season, Semenyo should be a player that Liverpool is keeping a close eye on - if nothing else, just so there's a plan in place should Salah want to leave next month.

Whether the club sees Semenyo as an ideal replacement for Salah is the obvious question, with the main worry being whether he will be able to step up to the demands of a club like Liverpool. That's a call that may have to be made sooner rather than later.

Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Liverpool is among a host of big clubs showing interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, although the England international won’t come cheaply according to The Guardian.

As well as the Reds, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid are all said to be keen. Wharton has no release clause in his contract, with Palace said to value him at more than £80 million ($107M).

It’s suggested that a January move might be out of the question with Palace still in four competitions at the moment, and riding high in the Premier League.

Liverpool.com says: Wharton will surely get a big move soon, it's just a question of where he goes, and how much will a club have to pay for his services. As Liverpool knows all too well now, dealing with Palace can be tricky, especially with Oliver Glasner clearly keen on keeping his best players.

A new midfielder doesn't feel like a priority for Liverpool when compared to a center-back or a new winger, so if there's going to be a race for Wharton next summer, don't be surprised to see the Reds taking a back seat in it.

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