Liverpool’s €150m Salah successor could be worth every penny

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Bournemouth winger Rayan was one of the players Liverpool were tracking closely this summer, and Andoni Iraola’s side have been told how to sign the Brazilian sensation in 12 months.

It’s a deal that the Reds should look closely at completing. With no direct replacement for Mohamed Salah signed over the course of the summer transfer window, Rayan could potentially provide that superstar quality down the right in the future, with the outlook positive for the 20-year-old to become a star.

Here’s how the deal could come together, and how Liverpool’s attack could look in a year if the board is willing to make another big investment in a player Iraola has already shown he knows how to get the best from.

Current ETV

Rayan

M (R), F (C), AM (L)

Rayan

M (R), F (C), AM (L)

€47.6M

ETV Range

€35.7M - €59.5M

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Ornstein reveals Rayan release clause

Rayan will have a release fee active in his Bournemouth contract from next summer, David Ornstein reports in The Athletic.

He states that Rayan will be free to move should a club make a bid of £130 million (€150m) or more, which would make him the third most expensive player ever, trailing only Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

While it may take a historic transfer to sign the South American, the trend in Premier League deals is increasingly pushing the market in that direction. Liverpool, for instance, have signed Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola for €125m or more in the last couple of years.

It is no stretch to suggest they would consider such a move for Rayan at that price if they are convinced that he can become a long-term star at Anfield.

And the evidence points to this.

Rayan can become Liverpool’s new Salah

Rayan has the quality to become Liverpool’s best player. That’s the opinion of data analytics firm SciSports, which indicates that his peak SciSkill – a measure calculated using hundreds of in-game data points – can exceed that of Wirtz, Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai.

He’s not at that level yet, but given that the Reds are overloaded with options on the left and do not have a player who naturally favours the right, as Salah did, he could expect instant game time. Barcola, for instance, typically prefers to play from the left.

That he has worked with Iraola before and the Basque has got the best from him is only further evidence that this is a deal that could allow all parties to flourish.

This is echoed by SciSports’ Career Advice tool, which suggests that Liverpool would be a strong club for him to move to.

The Reds score well across the board, and while their playing style score is a meagre one star, in reality this should rise as Iraola stamps his game plan on his new squad. This is not accounted for by SciSports’ metrics so early in the season.

Securing Rayan, meanwhile, could finally see the end of Cody Gakpo at Anfield, with the Netherlands star potentially fuelling the deal for the Bournemouth star by being sold for a big price. He has started the season positively but has often flattered to deceive on Merseyside, and with Tottenham sniffing around a €100m deal a matter of weeks ago, a similar price could see him moved on.

This would leave Liverpool with a formidable attacking unit consisting of Isak through the middle, Barcola on the left and Rayan on the right. Wirtz could operate in his favoured No.10 role, meanwhile. And in support on the bench would be options such as Rio Ngumoha, Victor Munoz and Hugo Ekitike.

Of course, a great deal can change over the course of a year, but Rayan is a player Liverpool will be closely monitoring. A star in the making, he could be the long-term Salah solution that they have been waiting for.