Liverpool are rumoured to be in with a bargain deal for Sporting Lisbon’s Marcus Edwards, who could be the ideal successor to Mohamed Salah. The Reds could take advantage of two mistakes made by Edwards’ former club Tottenham to land the winger for an estimated fee of $37m (£30m/€35m).
With Mohamed Salah’s future at Anfield uncertain, Liverpool may have to look for a new left-footed striker. Ruben Amorim, who is rumoured to replace Jurgen Klopp, has overseen Edwards’ development at Sporting.
Edwards was once one of Tottenham’s most promising players, with former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino even comparing him to Lionel Messi (Sky Sports). However, his career suffered a downturn following a failed loan spell at Norwich.
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Despite never having played a competitive match for Spurs, Edwards was sold to Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães after a brief spell with Dutch side Excelsior. His transfer fee was just over $1.25 million, a small sum considering his huge potential as a young player.
Tottenham retained a 50 per cent stake in Edwards’ economic rights, entitling them to half of any future transfer fee. They received around $3.75m (£3m/€3.5m) when Edwards moved from Vitória to Sporting in 2022.
However, the Premier League club’s agreement to sign Pedro Porro from Sporting in January 2023 reduced that figure to 35 per cent as part of the deal. Edwards is widely believed to have a release clause of around £50m, but football.london suggests Sporting could accept around £37m, knowing they will owe Spurs less.
Edwards, now 25, would be a fantastic addition for Liverpool or any other Premier League side. He has scored six goals and provided eight assists this season, following a 2022-23 campaign in which he contributed to 26 goals. Not only could Spurs regret selling him at this stage, but with big clubs interested, reducing their remaining stake in the player could also be seen as a mistake.
Liverpool could lose Salah in the summer, having fought hard to keep him away from the Saudi Pro League last year. At the end of the season, the Egyptian will have just 12 months left on his contract, giving them more control over his future.
Liverpool have rejected a record bid from Al-Ittihad for Salah, but the Reds may not have as much negotiating power this summer.
But actually signing Edwards for a bargain price could be a great move, especially if Amorim replaces Klopp at Anfield. He may no longer be compared to Messi, but he has developed into a fine player in his own right while in Portugal.
Liverpool.com says: Arriving with the pressure of being Salah’s heir would be a great way to set Edwards up for another failure in England, but he looks set for another chance in a top league.
Whether he is up to Liverpool’s standards remains to be seen, but for a relatively cheap fee, especially when compared to the buyout clause, he is a signing well worth considering. Amorim, of course, knows Edwards well.
*An artificial intelligence tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process of this story. You can read the original story on the Daily Express by clicking here.
