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Real Madrid Transfers: The pros and cons of the top 5 forward targets for 2021

By Kevin Parvizi

PSG, Kylian Mbappe (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
PSG, Kylian Mbappe (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Liverpool, Mohamed Salah
Liverpool, Mohamed Salah (Photo by Peter Powell – Pool/Getty Images) /

Liverpool RW Mohamed Salah

There are very few classy left-footed options available to Real Madrid, so Mohamed Salah should be on Los Blancos’ radar in the summer 2021 transfer window.

Pros:

  • The Premier League is an extremely difficult league for top strikers, and only the cream of the crop can bang home goals at this rate at the wide forward position. Mohamed Salah’s consistent greatness is something to behold. He’s had 32, 22, and 19 goals in the past three seasons, including double-digit assists in a supposedly “down” 2019-2020. This season, Salah has 17 goals as the clear star of an otherwise thoroughly disappointing Liverpool side.
  • Salah is by far the best fit for the right winger position, which is easily Real’s weak point. Rodrygo Goes is the best right winger on the team, amidst Marco Asensio’s massive struggles, but he’s not an ideal right winger either. Having Salah’s left foot could change the game for Los Blancos, much like Gareth Bale did opposite of Cristiano Ronaldo.
  • The Egyptian had 39 assists in his previous four seasons for an average of nearly 10 per year. He could help the team through more than goals, adding a dynamic to the attack that perhaps even Mbappe cannot.

Cons:

  • After the investment in Eden Hazard that may have backfired, Real Madrid may be wary of investing in a 28-year-old whose dribbles completed have steadily decreased in each season in the Premier League and who has accrued mileage in a very physical league. La Liga is just as physical. Now, Salah is changing his game to match this, but a big-money move is still a risk.
  • Salah is too important to Liverpool. He is literally their most important player, and it would be extremely difficult for them to replace him. The Reds rely on Salah to lead their attack from a scoring standpoint. It will take a fortune for Los Blancos to sign him away from another upper-echelon club, even if the Reds could be impacted severely by missing out on the Champions League in 2021-2022.
  • If Real want an immediate solution, Ronaldo stands out. If they want a star of the future, Mbappe makes the most sense. Salah is a great option, but is he the most ideal for either? What is Real’s true goal? If it is to sign a long-term superstar, then Salah sounds more like a “backup plan” but at a price potentially matching the main targets.
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