Liverpool could unleash Salah in permanent new role with swoop for £60m ace

The January transfer window is well underway and Liverpool have the opportunity to add to their playing squad if they decide they need to bolster their ranks.

However, the Reds could also decide to wait until the summer to do their business if they feel that better deals, and players, will be available to them.

One player who has been linked with a possible move to Anfield is Barcelona forward Raphinha, who was reported to be of interest to the club in November 2023 ahead of the January window.

That same month, FootballTransfers claimed that Spurs are keen on a deal to sign the former Leeds United star, who has been valued at €70m (£60m) by the Spanish side.

Jurgen Klopp could free up Reds superstar Mohamed Salah to play in a permanent new role as a centre-forward by securing a deal to sign winger Raphinha.

Mo Salah’s goal record as a striker

The 31-year-old sensation has only started 34 matches as a striker in his Liverpool career and plundered 28 goals and seven assists in those outings.

This means that Salah has averaged a goal or an assist every 0.97 games across those 34 appearances as a centre-forward, away from his usual position on the right flank.

Whereas, the former Chelsea prospect has racked up 176 goals and 80 assists in 294 matches as a right-winger for Liverpool. This is an average of a goal or an assist every 1.15 games.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Salah would be able to replicate his aforementioned form as a striker over the course of an entire season, but it does show that he has the potential to be very effective there.

The stats that show why Raphinha could dominate alongside Salah

Klopp could free up the Egypt international to play down the middle on a regular basis by bringing in Raphinha to line up on the right flank.

The Brazil international is a talented right-sided forward who has the ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate, as shown by his form in LaLiga and the Premier League during his career.

Since his move to Barcelona at the start of last season, Raphinha has racked up ten goals, 12 assists, and 23 ‘big chances’ created in 33 LaLiga starts.

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed magician has already proven his quality as a scorer and creator of goals in English football for the Yorkshire-based side.

Raphinha, who AllLeedsTV presenter Oscar Marrio once described as “unplayable”, chipped in with 11 goals and ten ‘big chances’ created in 35 Premier League games during his final season at Leeds. That is a goal or a ‘big chance’ created every 1.66 games on average.

Whereas, current Liverpool winger Luis Diaz – who plays on the left flank – has produced three goals and one ‘big chance’ created in 19 top-flight appearances this term, which is an average of one every 4.75 outings.

This illustrates the step-up in quality that Raphinha could provide with his attacking quality in the final third, which would also allow Salah to be a lethal number nine for the Reds moving forward – latching on to the Brazilian ace’s terrific passes and crosses to find the back of the net.