Reds swoop in for €50m star after Man Utd ‘temptation’ but Arne Slot magic needed for MAJOR positional change

Liverpool want to sign Malick Fofana as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah after Manchester United failed in their quest to bring him to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, according to a report, but TEAMtalk analyses why Arne Slot needs to work his magic on the young winger.

Fofana is one of the best young players in Europe and was on the radar of Liverpool, Man Utd and Everton, among other clubs, in the summer transfer window. The 20-year-old Belgium international winger scored 11 goals and gave six assists in 41 appearances for Lyon last season, leading to some of the world’s biggest teams taking a shine to him.

According to FootMercato, Man Utd ‘tried their luck’ with a move for Fofana in the final two days of the summer transfer window.

The winger himself was ‘tempted by the idea of joining’ Man Utd, but his father did not give any ‘signal’ to the Premier League club about making a formal offer.

TEAMtalk understands that Liverpool were among the clubs that showed interest in a summer deal for Fofana.

Sources told TEAMtalk’s Everton correspondent, Harry Watkinson, that, along with Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, Liverpool, too, made enquiries about Fofana.

It is understood that Lyon wanted €50m (£42.6m / $58.6m) for Fofana in the summer.

It seems that Liverpool’s interest in Fofana has not waned, with Fichajes reporting that the defending Premier League champions have set their sights on the winger as a long-term replacement for Mo Salah.

Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April and is still a world-class forward, but the Egyptian superstar is 33 years of age now.

Liverpool reportedly believe that Fofana is ‘the ideal candidate’ to fill Salah’s role on the right wing in the coming years.

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Could Malick Fofana be Mo Salah’s successor at Liverpool?

Fichajes is not one of the most reliable news outlets, but given Liverpool’s interest in Fofana during the summer, it would be remiss to suggest that the defending Premier League champions have already given up on bringing him to Anfield.

The winger himself revealed this month that he had the chance to join Liverpool or Chelsea in the summer transfer window.

Fofana told HBVL: “There was interest from those two clubs (Chelsea and Liverpool), but ultimately nothing concrete.

“I’ve considered a transfer, but now I think it’s more important that I play a lot, and that has to happen at Lyon. Because I still have some progress to make.”

Liverpool clearly rate Fofana, but if the winger is to succeed Mo Salah at Anfield, then manager Arne Slot needs to change his position.

Salah plays on the right of Liverpool’s attack, while Fofana is a left-winger.

In his entire career so far, the Belgium international winger has played as a right-winger just eight times.

Given that Fofana is only 20, he has time to adapt his position and become a right-winger.

Fofana is right-footed, and while ‘inverted wingers’ have become the norm, given his age, potential and obvious talent, under the guidance of Slot, the Lyon star could easily add facets to his game.

Moreover, Fofana’s agent has previously gone public with the winger’s desire to play for Liverpool.

Bobo Fofana told Africa Foot in May: “The choice of heart would be Liverpool.

“He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and El Hadji Diouf.

“Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the European top five.

“He has the profile to succeed in the Premier League. He possesses qualities similar to those of Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, namely speed, impact, and the ability to create opportunities. There’s no doubt he can make a splash.

“For him, this would be an opportunity to continue his development and, above all, to showcase his talent in a league that favors transitional play.

“However, he’ll have to choose the right club, as competition is fierce across the Channel.”

Liverpool have also been linked with Michael Olise as a potential long-term replacement for Mo Salah.

Olise is 23, plays as a right-winger and is a star for Bayern Munich and the France national team.

Having starred for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Olise would seamlessly fit into Liverpool’s style.

Although the defending Bundesliga champions would not want to sell the winger, TEAMtalk understands that there is a clause in Olise’s contract at Bayern that allows him to speak to any Premier League club that can offer him Champions League football, which becomes active from summer 2026.

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