Liverpool’s cheap Mo Salah replacement had Kylian Mbappe purring and is ‘like Lionel Messi’

Should Mohamed Salah depart Anfield in the summer, one potential replacement has caught Liverpool’s eye in the past and has earned plaudits from Kylian Mbappe

Potential Liverpool target Rayan Cherki has been compared to Lionel Messi and lauded by Kylian Mbappe as Mohamed Salah’s contract situation remains unresolved.

With Salah yet to renew his deal, the possibility that this could be his final year on Merseyside is a reality that is beginning to set in. While time remains between between now and the summer for a resolution to be found, there are a range of options Arne Slot could turn to if he’s forced to to find a replacement for the Egyptian star.

One of those names that has reportedly garnered Liverpool’s interest in the past is Cherki – a prodigious attacking talent who has earned his stripes at Lyon and with France’s 2024 Olympic squad.

Cherki made his Ligue 1 debut at only 16 – when he played his way into the limelight – and Lyon’s youngest-ever goalscorer hasn’t looked back. However, with a reported gentleman’s agreement now in place for the forward to depart, this could be the time for Liverpool to strike and secure the 21-year-old’s services.

The Frenchman has long been on the radar of top European clubs, and rumours swirled near the end of 2024 that Liverpool, in particular, had enquired about his availability.

Among the player’s admirers is fellow countryman Mbappe, who, when Cherki was aged just 16, posted a telling comment to social media in 2020, saying: “Don’t speak too much about age.”

This praising plea from Mbappe only boosted the hype surrounding Cherki – something mirrored by Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, who compared the prodigy to an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“Cherki is comparable to (Lionel) Messi in terms of technical quality,” Aulas told Téléfoot, making it quite obvious in what regard his current employers hold Cherki.

However, it was another all-time footballing great that the Frenchman instead chose to liken himself to and pick out as an idol worth emulating.

“I am here to provide joy for people and to also enjoy myself too and I think that is what makes the difference, whilst being efficient all the while,” Lyon’s playmaker stated in 2024. “I had lots of idols but the one that I think is the best and the example to follow is Cristiano Ronaldo. Regarding his work and his longevity, that is the example that you have to follow.”

It is such talk that has seen Liverpool, according to L’Equipe, keep tabs on Cherki – who could depart Lyon for the cut price of just £19million, as per an alleged gentleman’s agreement. However, the French news outlet also reports that PSG are interested, and CaughtOffside believes that Bayern Munich are another side that have enquired about recruiting Cherki.

Despite only registering 22 goals and 33 assists in over 150 games for his current club, Cherki’s playmaking ability and flair set him apart. While he likely would not replace the goals that Salah has brought to Anfield, his quick-footed dynamism, which sees him flit between being a wide player and attacking no.10, would no doubt add an edge to Slot’s side – and it wouldn’t come at too hefty a cost, either.

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