Liverpool learns asking price for Mohamed Salah heir amid financial woes

Liverpool has been linked with a move for Lyon youngster Rayan Cherki amid the French club's financial issues, and it is reported that he could be available for a fee of between $32million and $37million.

Cherki made his debut for Lyon aged just 16 in 2019 and has gone on to make more than 150 appearances for the club, but Lyon could be forced to sell the 21-year-old as it wrestles with money problems.

Lyon was hit with a transfer ban last week which will prevent it from signing any players in January, while the club was also provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 — the second tier of French football.

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That relegation, which is due to take place at the end of the season, will be overturned if Lyon can drastically improve its financial situation by next summer; the club recently reported that its debt had grown to $532million.

Selling players is an obvious way for Lyon to improve its financial outlook, and it is reported that Cherki could be among the players sacrificed.

Liverpool is said to be interested in signing the youngster, who can play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, while Bayer Leverkusen is also reported to keen on Cherki.

Cherki could be an option as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah if the Egyptian ends up leaving Anfield at the end of the season.

Salah is into the final eight months of his Liverpool contract and there have been few indications over what the 32-year-old's plans are for the future, or indeed what Liverpool's plans are for its highest-paid star.

Salah will be 33 by the time his deal expires and Liverpool does not generally offer lengthy renewals to players over the age of 30, and the matter is complicated by the money Salah currently earns on Merseyside.

Given his explosive start to the season, it's hard to imagine that Salah would be willing to agree an extension on reduced terms, but Liverpool must also weigh up the likelihood of the player's level beginning to drop off in the coming years.

The Egyptian has shown no signs of slowing down as yet, but time waits for no man and decline, at some point, is inevitable.