Italian publication Corriere dello Sport claims that the Reds made a bid for Lazio star Keita Balde Diao before moving for Mohamed Salah – who became the club’s record signing this week.
Liverpool lodged a formal offer for Balde, but the proposal went no further. Jurgen Klopp continued to sign Salah, instead.
Balde has been at Lazio for 6 years now, having arrived from Barcelona. Last season was a successful one for the Senegalese international. He scored 16 goals, providing 3 assists. It is understood that he was interested in a move to Liverpool and is disappointed that the transfer didn’t materialise.
It was also in Lazio’s best interests to sell Balde as they will now probably lose him to Italian rivals Juventus in 2018, thus strengthening the domestic powerhouse of recent years, in Serie A. They would also not receive a fee for their asset, whose contract will expire.
Liverpool secured the signing of Salah for a club record £39m (Daily Mail) this week, after substantial rumours linking the Egyptian to the Merseyside outfit over the last couple of weeks.
The Reds had previously shown an interest in Salah in 2014. Back then, the attacker played for FC Basel. He turned Liverpool down in favour of a move to Chelsea.
Unfortunately, that move never worked out. Salah received very limited game time – his most notable moment being his goal in the Blues’ 6-0 Premier League victory over Arsenal, at Stamford Bridge.
Roma offered him a chance to revive his career after a £15m move to the club in the Eternal City, which he took.
Under Jurgen Klopp, he will be looking to prove he can make the grade in the Premier League. Salah is Liverpool’s first big-money signing of the summer. The Reds had hoped to secure the services of Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk. The deal publicly collapsed, however.
Liverpool are also reportedly in interested in Arsenal and England star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Daily Mirror). RB Leipzig’s midfield dynamo Naby Keita is also a man being linked with a move to Anfield (Metro).
However, a centre-back is Klopp’s priority in the market this summer. Michael Keane and Ben Gibson are defenders that have been linked.
