Barcelona and Real Madrid could both be set to benefit from the former’s reported interest in signing Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah this summer.
The Egyptian international has had a sensational season this year to date, scoring 40 goals and providing 13 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions.
Liverpool will therefore naturally be desperate to keep hold of him, although that level of form is unsurprisingly attracting interest from elsewhere, as per reports.
According to Diario Gol, as re-reported by The Express, Barcelona believe that Salah could be an ideal fit for them alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and are said to be willing to offer Ousmane Dembele in exchange for the 25-year-old winger.
A knock-on effect of that Diario Gol claim is that it will free up Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann who has been linked with a move to the Nou Camp, with Real Madrid set to benefit as they’ll launch their own €100m bid to sign the Frenchman, as per the release clause in his current contract.
It sounds like a very ambitious transfer strategy at various levels, from Salah leaving Liverpool to move to the Nou Camp to Madrid convincing Atleti to see their best player to their direct city rivals.
Further, Dembele has struggled at Barcelona this season, and so there is no guarantee that Liverpool would be keen on him being a possible replacement for Salah who has become indispensable to Jurgen Klopp this season.
Much may seemingly depend on the will of the players in question, but with Barcelona on course to win a domestic double, Ernesto Valverde would perhaps be well advised not to disrupt the balance in his side too much with big-name signings this summer.
In contrast, Madrid have fallen short of expectations this season, barring their Champions League run, and so changes are arguably to be expected at the Bernabeu with Griezmann possibly being targeted as Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale struggle to prove their worth.
Benzema has just nine goals in 39 appearances this year, while Bale has found himself on the bench in recent high-profile games with Zinedine Zidane preferring other options, which will undoubtedly have left the Welshman frustrated not to be more prominently involved.
In turn, a move for Griezmann could be a sensible solution to their issues in the final third, while Salah’s pace, movement and ability to stretch defences could be more effective for Barcelona as it will free up space for Messi and Suarez to exploit.