Liverpool linked with controversial ex-Manchester United forward as pricey Mohamed Salah replacement: report

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in a former Manchester United player, in their hunt for a Mohamed Salah replacement.

All the talk last season was of Salah’s contract renewal, which the Reds finally got over the line towards the end of that campaign.

But it has hardly been plain sailing since, with Salah going public about his playing time, just before he headed to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.

Liverpool reportedly linked with controversial ex-Manchester United figure

Quite what situation Salah will return to at Anfield remains to be seen, but one certainty is that he is entering the twilight of his career.

To that end, the Reds are reportedly weighing up their options, planning for the future and, according to reports in Spain, may explore a controversial option.

According to Fichajes, Liverpool are “cautiously considering” a move for Marseille wideman Mason Greenwood.

The 24-year-old is the current Ligue 1 top goalscorer, with 11 strikes and three assists in France’s top tier.

Any approach for Greenwood comes with more than mere performance reviews and significant baggage. Not only would his association with arch-rivals Manchester United irk some supporters, but also the circumstances in which he left the club.

Greenwood was charged in 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault, but denied any wrongdoing. In February 2023, all charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, amid key witnesses withdrawing involvement and new material coming to light.

Later that year, executives at United came to the decision that Greenwood should continue his career away from the club, first sending him on loan to Getafe, before the forward agreed a permanent move to Marseille in 2024.

Fichajes say the French side value Greenwood at between €80m-€100m, with his contract there running until 2029.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, that's a prohibitively expensive price tag given the outlay Liverpool spent in last summer's transfer window, in addition to the likely public response that would follow any return to the Premier League.

The Reds' key decision-makers are likely to deem Greenwood a non-starter in terms of a potential transfer target, therefore the validity of Fichajes' report can be called into question.

For now, Liverpool needn't take immediate action, as Salah will soon return from AFCON, but it is a position they’ll need to address in the future.

Greenwood is valued at €50m, according to Transfermarkt.