Transfer Centre

Jurgen Klopp rules out signing Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane replacements

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 16 December 2021

Klopp rules out signing Salah, Mane replacements

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp plays down the prospect of signing replacements for Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita during the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out the prospect of signing replacements for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane during the January transfer window.

The Reds could be without two of their front three for more than a month in the early stages of next year, with Salah and Mane due to join up with Egypt and Senegal respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah has been the Premier League's standout player so far this season, leading the goals and assists charts to spearhead Liverpool's title charge, while Mane has weighed in with seven goals of his own in the top flight.

Klopp has been tipped to enter the January transfer market in an attempt to soften the blow of losing both players, plus Naby Keita, but he suggested that bringing in reinforcements is not on his radar.

"We knew three would be qualified and be there and we knew that at least two of them will go pretty far in the tournament," the German told reporters.

"Can you be prepared for something like that, properly, perfectly? Like a one-for-one replacement for Sadio, a replacement for Mo, one replacement for Naby? That's tricky in each situation but I am happy with the squad and we have options to play and still to play football.

"The thing is there are so many games coming up when we are still together - that is the most intense period now - but then we have a lot of games when Mo and Naby and Sadio are not here.

"That means we have to find lineups for these games, even when we have cup competitions we have to find lineups for these games as well, and that is the situation so you can never be perfectly prepared for this. We are quite confident we will find solutions.

"Whoever will play in the period when the three boys are not here, will have a plan, and gives us a chance to win a football game. Can we play exactly the same kind of football? Probably not - but who cares? Then we play the football we are able to play then.

"You cannot always have the perfect solution. In this case we are far away from being the perfect solution without these players but we knew it and now we have to deal with it."

The 2022 Africa Cup of Nations is due to run from January 9 to February 6.