Why Liverpool should keep hold of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah amidst interest
According to Football Insider (h/t The Express), Liverpool have targeted Wolves forward Adama Traore as a replacement for either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah, who are attracting interest from Real Madrid.
The Reds have been dominant in the past two years under Jurgen Klopp after hitting rock-bottom prior to the arrival of the German. After offloading several players from the squad in his second season, the manager signed Mane and Salah in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Since then, they have been consistent for the Reds and are known for their goalscoring prowess. In his first season at Anfield, the Senegalese international was the top scorer for the Reds alongside Philippe Coutinho. However, they were not successful enough to lift the title that season.
A year later when Salah joined, the Reds became an unstoppable force. Though they could finish only 4th in the league, Liverpool went on to reach the finals of the Champions League. The Egyptian netted 44 goals across all competitions and also finished as the Golden Boot award winner.
Klopp’s side went on to claim the Champions League trophy last season and once again, the wing duo was in total control of the attack. Salah and Mane have combined to score the majority of the goals in each of the last three seasons for the Reds.
They haven’t been replaced by anyone so far in their respective positions and have always supported each other well. The trio, which also consists of Roberto Firmino, has been brilliant so far. Each of them has single-handedly led the team on several occasions.
Both the wingers are just 27 and still have a lot to offer in the future. They have the ability to maintain Liverpool’s dominance in the future. Hence, keeping hold of them should be the top-most priority for the manager and the club rather than looking for a replacement.
Even if they bring in replacements in the form of Adama Traore, who has been in the Premier League for just two seasons with less experience, Liverpool cannot be as dominant as they are, as Mane and Salah are way more productive in terms of output than Traore, as evident from the mountain of goals they score week in week out.
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Verdict
Liverpool’s games in the past two years have been constructed around Mane and Salah as they are the ones who have done the most damage in the past. And the forward duo can lead them to several trophies with their immense experience.
Therefore, the Reds should relentlessly keep hold of the star duo rather than look for a replacement. They should simply avoid the thought of even negotiating with potential suitors.
