Liverpool have distinguished Rafael Leao as an option for transfer this summer, in a move that could finally replace Sadio Mane and reinvigorate manager Jurgen Klopp’s wayward Reds.
Leao has risen to the fore with AC Milan over the past several seasons, now flourishing with the current Serie A champions and attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
And now, according to Italian outlet CalcioMercato, Liverpool have joined the hunt for the Portuguese prodigy, with the current fallen squad understandably requiring reinvestment this summer following a woeful campaign.
Interestingly, the report claims that the Anfield-based contingent might be inclined to offer Colombian winger Luis Diaz in the package to sweeten the deal and lessen the mammoth fee; Leao reportedly holds a release clause of €150m (£132m), which would likely prove too tall an order in its entirety.
Is Leao the dream Mane heir?
Mane signed for Liverpool from Southampton for £34m in 2016 and forged his name into prominence on the global stage, scoring 120 goals and supplying 48 assists from 269 outings before switching to Bayern Munich for £35m last summer, a year before the expiry of his contract.
And given that he was instrumental in the most illustrious period of the Reds’ modern history, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup under Klopp’s wing, a large chunk of the decline in the squad’s collective calibre this season can certainly be attributed to his absence.
And in the “phenomenon” – as dubbed by Italian sporting director Fabio Cordella – that is Leao, a tailor-made replacement might just be ready to take the Premier League by storm in Liverpool colours, having plundered nine goals and ten assists from 32 outings across all competitions this season.
As per FBref, the £30k-per-week gem ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and wingers for assists, 6% for progressive carries and 4% for successful take-ons per 90, he could indeed be a sterling addition to an outfit requiring a superlative new force with creative and transitional ingenuity.
Hailed as a “superstar” by ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray, Leao was once dubbed the “Portuguese Mbappe” by Lille president Gerard Lopez, and given the Frenchman’s standing as one of Europe’s leading forwards, perhaps even the best the globe has to offer considering he is valued at a seismic £158m by CIES Football Observatory, Liverpool might just have their catalyst for change with an acquisition.
Given Liverpool’s current turbulence, landing a ‘phenomenon’ of Leao’s ilk would be an unmitigated success for Klopp and co, taking a major stride in returning to former glory and reinstating the diminished potency and power that the frontline once had.
The chasm left in Mane’s wake could be filled by no better option than the prolific Leao.