Liverpool forward Mo Salah announced big news during the international break, revealing it will be his final season as a player at Anfield.
The Egyptian international reached an agreement with the club to terminate his contract a year ago so he can find a new team in next summer’s transfer window as a free agent.
Salah’s move comes after nine seasons on Merseyside, following his £34m move from Jurgen Klopp’s Roma in Italy in the summer of 2017.
He did not arrive as a superstar signing for Liverpool from the Serie A side, as he only scored two goals in 19 games for Chelsea in his first stint in the Premier League, but it is certain that the left-footed ace will leave Anfield as a superstar.
With 436 appearances, 255 goals and 122 assists, two Premier League titles and one Champions League title under his belt, Salah will leave the Reds this summer as a true legend.
Liverpool preparing to move for Serie A star
The Egyptian star’s incredible success with Liverpool should serve as a lesson to clubs that they don’t need to spend huge sums on big-name stars to strengthen their squad.
Players like Sadio Mane, who joined from Southampton, and Andrew Robertson, who joined from Hull City, are great examples of this.
The Reds appear to have learned from those lessons, as they are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be a repeat of Salah at Anfield.
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are eyeing a deal for Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to reports, the Reds are making serious preparations to sign the 21-year-old full-back to strengthen their squad, with Tottenham Hotspur also said to be interested in him.
Catch Offside adds that it would take a fee of up to around £39m to convince Atalanta to part ways with the defender, who is currently on loan at Cagliari, and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool are willing to pay that much for him.
The newspaper revealed that the reigning Premier League champions see him as a player who could provide short-term depth at right-back, as well as a player who could become a future star.
Why the Palestra could be a repeat of Salah for Liverpool
Salah arrived at Anfield in 2017 as an exciting signing given his form at Roma and his £34m transfer fee, but he was not expected to become a superstar after that.
The Palestra could also follow in his footsteps, as reports suggest he will be signed by the Serie A side for a fairly modest fee of £39 million, as a back-up option from the outset.
However, his performances on loan at Cagliari in Italy’s top flight for the 2026-27 season suggest he could be an immediate starter for Arne Slott if given the chance to shine.
The Italy Under-21 international has started 29 of his 30 Serie A appearances for Cagliari this season, scoring one goal and providing four assists, and his performances have been good enough to attract interest from Liverpool and Spurs.
His performances were even more impressive than Conor Bradley’s in the Premier League before suffering a long-term injury against Arsenal, suggesting the Italian starlet is the best right-back option for the slot.
25/26 league season | lecture | bradley |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 30 | 15 |
the goal | 1 | 0 |
assist | 4 | 1 |
Number of tackles gained per game | 1.6 | 1.3 |
Duels won per match | 7.1 | 4.1 |
Number of dribble breakthroughs per game | 0.5 | 1.0x |
Ground duel success rate | 63% | 44% |
The Palestra have offered Cagliari more in Serie A than Bradley did for the Reds during his Premier League spell earlier this season.
These statistics suggest that the £39m-rated star has more potential to be a creative threat in the slot, as he has the ability to create goals for his team-mates, as well as winning more physical duels and being dribbled past by opposing wingers less often.
Palestra would therefore be better suited to join Anfield as an immediate first-team star, rather than as a back-up option.
This means that if Liverpool are able to agree a deal based on his performance, the Italian youngster could exceed expectations and become a superstar for the Reds, just as Salah also moved from Italy.
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The pressure is mounting on Arne Slot.
