Jurgen Klopp rarely got the wrong transfer from Liverpool but almost made a huge howler when trying to replace Mohamed Salah.
The German thought he had found the perfect solution for the Reds in 2022 by proposing a move for Manchester United flop Antony. And club chiefs will surely breathe a sigh of relief that they have decided to ignore their former boss.
The 32-year-old Salah has less than a year of contract at Anfield and was in a similar situation a few years ago. The Egyptian attacker was backed for an exit.
And the club's recruitment team began putting together a plan in case he left. They searched Europe for his replacement, but it seems Klopp found Antony an ideal candidate.
According to The Times, the German 'discussed' a move for the Brazilian winger ahead of the 2023 summer transfer window. And in defense, Antony was in the middle of an impressive season with Dutch side Ajax, when he scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists.
Ultimately, Klopp was overruled, with FSG chief Mike Gordon convincing Salah to sign a new £350,000 contract at Anfield instead. And it seems to have been the right decision.
The Egyptian attacker has scored 65 goals in recent seasons. Antony moved to United in the summer of 2023 for £86million but has scored just 12 times and is perhaps one of the Red Devils' biggest ever flops.
He has already been linked with a move away from Old Trafford. It has been suggested that United Chiefs would be open to cutting their losses at the Wideman in January.
This is despite his agent Junior Pedroso confirming this summer that Antony only sees his future at Old Trafford. He said: “I see reports of a possible loan move. Antony's plan is clear: Manchester United. He wants to stay, he is only focused on Man United. We have already discussed that with the club.”
While Antony is highly unlikely to sign for Liverpool anytime soon, the Reds still have the task of sorting out Salah's future. Arne Slot made his thoughts clear very recently.
“I've been working with him for four or five months now and you've seen him here for six or seven years in a row,” the Dutchman told the club's official website.
“It is special that he already scores so many goals; what makes it even more impressive is that he does this year after year after year. Not many players are able to do that and the fact that he is able to do that says a lot about the quality he has.”
However, they do have a potential successor in mind: Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt. Salah's compatriot has already scored fourteen goals and provided ten assists for the German team this season.
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