Liverpool could use Trent Alexander-Arnold talks to tempt 'obvious' Mo Salah replacement
The vast majority of Liverpool fans are desperate to see Mohamed Salah put pen to paper on a contract extension at Anfield.
He seemingly wants to stay, too, but the longer the impasse between him and the Reds goes on, the more supporters will have to consider the possibility that he won't be at the club next season.
That outcome would be a shame considering the magnificent performances Salah has produced over the years and continues to produce in his 33rd year, but should the worst happen, the Reds must replace their main man.
We're not sure what Real Madrid thinks about this, but the former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has touted Los Blancos winger Rodrygo as a possible replacement for Salah.
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"If Liverpool wanted one player to replace Salah, the obvious choice for me would be Rodrygo from Real Madrid," former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy told OLBG. "I think he's a wonderful talent. I don't know what his contract situation is at Real Madrid, but I think of him because we’ve been seeing him play at the highest level and winning Champions Leagues in the last couple of years.
"His numbers aren't like Salah's but he's a match winner. He can beat people, he's quick and he's playing in an environment where he's playing under huge pressure every week and dealing with it. Additionally they've got so many talented players at Real Madrid that maybe there is room for one of them to leave. So that would be the obvious standout for me."
Considering Rodrygo has started the majority of Madrid's matches across La Liga and the Champions League this season, it's difficult to imagine that the Bernabeu club would be particularly open to the idea of him leaving.
Perhaps the only way that Liverpool could fulfil Murphy's wish is by smoothing Trent Alexander-Arnold's passage to Real Madrid, and allowing him to leave this month — provided, of course, that the player wants to.
That would improve relations between the two clubs, which are by no means weak anyway, and could help when it comes to negotiations over potential future transfers.
Rodrygo has emerged as a key player for Madrid in recent years, and he has already registered 16 goals contributions this season. That tally is still some way off Salah's tally, but let's be honest, everybody's tally is far off Salah's tally.
With Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior certainties in Madrid's team, Rodrygo's position in Madrid's first-choice starting XI is precarious at the best of times, and perhaps he could be tempted by the prospect of replacing the star man at Anfield, rather than being one of many star men at Madrid.
Convinced yet? No? Us neither. Murphy might need to think again.