Liverpool want "perfect" €90M signing - creative negotiations could seal deal

Liverpool have identified Rafael Leao as a "perfect" target to take Jurgen Klopp's attacking lineup to new heights.

The German is world renowned for assembling thrilling, front-footed teams and with fears lingering over Mohamed Salah's future at the club, more and more stories are emerging linking the Reds with top forwards around Europe.

Salah leaves for AFCON in January which will give Liverpool a taste of what life without him would be like.

The timely return of Diogo Jota may help but it's clear that even if it's not a priority, the club is assessing opportunities to sign top attackers.

Latest on Liverpool transfer for Rafael Leao

Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Federico Chiesa and Kenan Yildiz are some of the names linked with a move to Anfield.

Journalist Francois Plateau reports that Liverpool are huge admirers of AC Milan star Raphael Leao.

Via Twitter, he reports: "Liverpool have identified AC Milan attacker Rafael Leão as the ‘perfect’ heir to Sadio Mané, and could offer Luis Díaz + cash for the Portuguese international."

It's not the first time this claim has been made. In March 2023, the Mirror reported that Liverpool were prepared to send Diaz to Milan in exchange for Leao's signature.

The Portuguese forward is valued at €90 million (£78M) so it would likely require a decent chunk of change in addition to Diaz to agree a transfer with Milan.

What does the future hold for Luis Diaz at Liverpool?

Leao is a fantastic player and would likely be a huge success under Klopp. Last season, he contributed 16 goals and 15 assists although he only has four goals and five assists this term, according to Transfermarkt.

However, it is far too soon to move Diaz on. Yes, he hasn't been prolific for Liverpool but the knee injury he suffered in October 2022 required surgery after a setback during recovery.

An operation was conducted to repair his lateral collateral ligament, the Echo reported at the time. It's only fair to give him time to return to his best.

Diaz is a massive fan of FC Barcelona with his father revealing in November that it is "his dream to go there."

“The truth is that I know very little about Barcelona at the moment,” he explained, via Sport Witness.

“It is true that Luis is a loyal Barcelona fan and it would be his dream to go there. So far I would like to thank Porto and Liverpool for the way they welcomed him and received him.

“Luis is a player who finds it easy to win [fans] over because of the way he is, because of his humility, his work, his dedication. He is a very disciplined player, thank God.

“There would be no problem if Luis came to Barcelona because it is a top team and one of the best in the world.”