Real Madrid to give Liverpool huge dilemma with accelerated plan to sign superstar forward
The fabled Liverpool front three could be disbanded as early as this summer after a report revealed Real Madrid could bring a long-term Sadio Mane plan forward.
The triumvirate of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will go down in Liverpool folklore. The trio fired Liverpool to their sixth European crown in 2018/19, but the best was yet to come. All three played starring roles as the Reds ended their 30-year wait to be crowned champions of England the year after.
However, all three stars will be 30+ by the time next season begins. What’s more, the signings of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have hinted the Reds are looking to the future.
Firmino, Salah and Mane are all out of contract in the summer of 2023. Liverpool reportedly retain hope Salah will commit his long-term future at Anfield. Of the trio, the Egyptian is the one whose impact continues to grow with his form this season better than ever.
But whether owners FSG will sanction long-term deals for Mane and Firmino too, only time will tell. And according to a Spanish report, Real Madrid could give them a difficult decision to make over Mane.
Via TheHardTackle, it’s stated Real are ‘keen’ on signing the Senegalese at some point in the next 16 months.
Their initial plan had been to target Mane when he potentially becomes a free agent in 2023. If they are able to sign one or both of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland this summer, they will reportedly stick to that timeframe.
Sadio Mane plan rests on Haaland, Mbappe fates
However, if they’re unable to make a major splash this year, they could reportedly bring forward their Mane plan by 12 months. That would manifest itself in the form of a bid to sign the Liverpool forward rather than waiting for free agency.
If such an offer were tabled in the summer – and Mane had not yet signed a new deal – it would present Liverpool with an intriguing decision.
Diaz could conceivably be seen as the successor to Mane and is already on the books. At 30, and with 12 months left on his deal in the summer, the time would be right to sell Mane if a new contract is unlikely to be signed.
Alternatively, they could retain Mane for the final year of his deal before allowing him to leave for free. That might not make the most sense financially, but it would ensure Liverpool’s frontline remains fully stocked for another campaign.
The article indicated Liverpool’s stance at present is to not sell Mane in the summer. As such, it would take an offer they can’t refuse to change their minds.
Newcastle threaten Gerrard’s Liverpool raid
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez may be a priority target for Aston Villa in the summer, but the Liverpool defender is also attracting interest from Newcastle United, according to reports.
Despite getting 90 minutes at right-back against Norwich last time out, the current campaign has been a struggle for Gomez. Indeed, he has fallen to a distant fourth behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate at his preferred position of centre-half.
There were already doubts about the future of Gomez in January. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard identified him as a potential target after becoming Aston Villa manager.
No deal could be done in January, but Villa are expected to revisit Gomez in the summer. If his situation at Liverpool has not improved, it could be best for his career.
Now, The Athletic write that Villa are an option for the 24-year-old at the end of the season. However, so too are Newcastle.
The Magpies are expected to strengthen at centre-back in the summer after missing out on stellar names Sven Botman and Diego Carlos. Dan Burn did arrive from Brighton and has made a bright start on Tyneside, though he is not the superstar name the Saudi backers were seeking.
Liverpool have Gomez under contract until 2024. However, it has been predicted that they could cash in during the summer for a fee of around £30m.
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