44 goals in 69 games: Liverpool given opportunity to sign exciting 22-year-old to replace Salah

Liverpool manager Arne Slot looks on during the defeat to Man City (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Liverpool reportedly look to have been given an opportunity to seal the transfer of Al Hilal forward Marcos Leonardo as a replacement for Mohamed Salah.

The talented 22-year-old has impressed during his time in the Saudi Pro League, with a record of 44 goals in 69 games.

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Leonardo’s performances have seemingly caught the eye of clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham, according to a recent report from Sports Boom, and it could be that there’ll be a chance for a swap deal.

According to Give Me Sport, this could be a deal that satisfies all parties, as Salah could finally get his long-mooted move to Saudi Arabia by joining Al Hilal, with Leonardo moving in the opposite direction.

One issue with Mohamed Salah swap transfer talk…

It is worth noting, however, that the expectation for the moment is that Salah will leave Liverpool on a free transfer this summer.

Although the Egypt international has another year left on his contract, Ben Jacobs previously reported that an agreement was in place for him to leave on a free a year before that deal comes to an end…

This means LFC can’t use Salah in a swap deal, as he’ll no longer be their player this summer, unless of course the Reds go back on this agreement.

Still, perhaps a more informal kind of deal could be agreed, with Salah heading to Al Hilal and Liverpool using that as leverage in any talks over Leonardo.

Is Marcos Leonardo good enough for Liverpool?

Leonardo looks like an impressive young player, but it’s also worth noting that his experience in the Saudi Pro League alone won’t prepare him for Premier League football.

The Brazilian’s only previous experience in Europe was with Benfica, and he only scored 8 goals in 24 games there, so Arne Slot will perhaps be looking for some more proven when it comes to replacing a legendary figure like Salah.

We’ve given Leonardo a low-ish medium score with our Transfer Fit rating system, as he meets certain criteria, but not others.

His recent form is good, but with the caveat that it’s only in the Saudi Pro League, while his career achievements aren’t much to write home about at this stage.

Still, Liverpool need attacking players and he probably wouldn’t cost a fortune, and is at an age where he can improve a lot in the next few years.

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