Have Liverpool found an ideal Mohamed Salah alternative in Sporting Lisbon’s Gelson Martins?

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Liverpool have entered talks with Sporting Lisbon regarding their forward Gelson Martins, according to BBC Sport. The club are worried that they may be priced out of a move for Roma’s Mohamed Salah, which is why they are now moving onto other targets.

The Portuguese international has a release clause of £50 million, but this could be negotiated down as the Liga NOS club are facing financial problems, having failed to automatically qualify for the group stage of the Champions League.

The report goes on to mention Keita Balde and Douglas Costa as other players that Jurgen Klopp is interested in.

What would Gelson Martins provide to Liverpool?

The Reds are in the market for a dynamic attacking player that would suit their counter-attacking style-of-play. Sadio Mane was a huge success last summer and they will be looking for a winger with a similar profile to add competition ahead of their return to the Champions League.

Martins is an exciting attacker, who has plenty of pace and power when running with the ball. He is incredibly effective as can beat a player for a pace if they back off from him, while he is also adept at spinning a defender if they get touch tight.

The Portuguese international is dynamic and there isn’t an obvious method to stop him when he is in the mood. Against Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage, he delivered an impressive performance and showed that he can compete with the best, as he gave Marcelo a torrid time.

In terms of his attacking contribution, his average of 1.43 chances created and 1.73 attempted shots per ninety minutes, is lower than Salah (2.58 chances created and 2.91 attempted shots).

It is clear that the Egyptian is a more reliable in the final third However, Martins works harder out of possession, with an average of 2.54 ball recoveries per ninety minutes, which is a lot better than Liverpool’s other target (1.2).

Given that Klopp demands his players to press high and win the ball back quickly, the Sporting Lisbon winger may be a better fit for the system. The Portuguese international is also two years younger and there will be a greater opportunity to mould him into the player that the Reds need.

3 stars