Liverpool told to 'break the bank' for Real Madrid transfer if Mohamed Salah leaves

Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy has urged Reds recruitment chiefs to consider an audacious swoop for Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. if Mohamed Salah is to depart.

The Egyptian winger has made another swashbuckling start to the campaign, with 10 goals in 12 outings so far this term in the Premier League. The 32-year-old showed his match-winning qualities again at the weekend as he scored twice to complete a comeback against Southampton at St Mary's.

However, after proving the hero for Arne Slot's men down on the South Coast, Salah's comments about his ongoing contract situation following the game sparked controversy. Speaking in the mixed zone for just the third time in his Liverpool tenure, the Anfield icon claimed that he has not been offered a new deal by the club - despite being in the final year of his current agreement.

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As things stand, the attacker will be free to talk with oversees clubs next month as he heads towards potentially departing the Reds for nothing in July. Amid the debate over Salah's future, former Liverpool midfielder Murphy has now ran the rule over some hypothetical replacements for the forward if he was to walk away next summer.

Speaking to Boylesports, who offer the latest Champions League odds, the ex-England international recommended a couple of potential successors, saying: "Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a really good player, similar to Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo in running with the ball with his athleticism and his ability to make things happen, but he’s not prolific."

After weighing up the suitability of Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia, Murphy then turned his attentions to Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. as he confessed that he would be a "ready-made" replacement for Salah.

He continued: "To replace Salah, the type of player you want is a ready-made replacement who you know is going to produce the same goods, if Vinicius Junior isn’t happy at Real Madrid and doesn’t want to sign a new deal then Liverpool should break the bank to get him because you know he'll produce the goods because he's one of the best players in the world.

"But that's unlikely. So you have to try and find these diamonds in the rough. You have to remember when Salah came, there were a few question marks. When Sadio Mane came, people questioned if Liverpool had overpaid Southampton and look what he went on to do."

Ultimately, Murphy is all to aware that replacing Salah could prove to be a near-impossible undertaking for Anfield's deal-makers. He added: "So it might be a case of Liverpool going and finding another one of these diamonds in the rough that can evolve into a goal-scoring right winger.

"But it's very hard to find wide players who have better goal scoring records than one in three. Salah has the goal scoring record of a striker, of a proper striker. It's incredible numbers that he produces. Replacing that is either, it's going to be a brilliant recruitment or it's going to break the bank, one or the other. Let's just hope Vini Jr falls out with Real Madrid and fancies joining Liverpool."