Salah now Barcelona’s top transfer target

Spanish club, FC Barcelona have made Mohamed Salah their new top transfer target, and the Liverpool star is keen to go.  

That’s according to reports in the Netherlands, with Barca’s new Dutch boss Ronald Koeman planning to raid the Reds as he attempts to guide the Catalan giants back to the top.

Koeman has already been linked with a move to bring Georginio Wijnaldum to Camp Nou, with the midfielder in the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield.  

And now it is claimed the new Barca manager has set his sights on a deal for Salah, too.  

The ‘Egyptian King’ has been a huge player for Liverpool and continued to show his importance to Jurgen Klopp’s side with a stunning hat-trick in their Premier League opener.   Salah struck three times as the Reds defeated newly-promoted Leeds United in a thrilling 4-3 victory on Saturday evening.  

Sadio Mane has also been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona in the past but a Dutch football legend, and apparently one of Koeman’s closes friends, has claimed the new boss wants Salah at the Nou Camp instead. Sjaak Swart, the former Netherlands international and Ajax record appearance holder, told voetbalzone.nl: “I know Koeman wants him – and I know Salah would like to go.”

When pressed to reveal the source of his information, Swart added: “I can’t.  “I am not going into any more details, but just believe me that I know.”  

However, it appears the fact Lionel Messi is now staying put may make it difficult for Barcelona to raise the funds needed to sign Salah.  

The 28-year-old has 97 goals and 41 assists in 154 games for Liverpool, and played a huge role in the club’s back-to-back Champions League and Premier League title triumphs.  

And it’s unlikely Liverpool will accept less than £150 million, or perhaps even as much as £200 million, for one of the most prolific players in Europe.