Talks held: Liverpool could sign £131m star who’s a bigger talent than Isak
Are Liverpool going to complete a deal for Bournemouth’s high-flying talisman, Antoine Semenyo, this January?
Well, someone’s going to, with all the reliable sources confirming that the Ghana international is set to leave the Vitality Stadium having scored eight goals and supplied three assists across 16 Premier League appearances this season.
At this hectic Christmas stage, it looks as though he’s set to head to Manchester City with David Ornstein revealing on the 23rd that the player’s “preference is to join Man City.”
While many frustrated Reds fans would point toward central defence as a priority position this winter, Alexander Isak’s injury and the lingering uncertainty around Mohamed Salah may well have changed things for FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes.
How Liverpool can react to Isak's injury
Isak’s ice-cold finish to set Liverpool on their way against Tottenham was supposed to be the start of a bright spell for the British-record signing.
Having cost Liverpool £125m, to say the former Newcastle forward has been disappointing would be an understatement, and now, he faces a lengthy layoff after breaking his leg when cut down by Micky van de Ven in the act of scoring.
There are a number of routes Liverpool can head down as they try to find ways to replace the Sweden striker, but pushing ahead with a deal for Semenyo feels the most prudent.
But Semenyo is a wanted man, and Liverpool do have another option they could fall back on.
After all, Vinicius Junior is the better player. Reports from this month, as relayed by Football FanCast, outline Liverpool’s interest in Real Madrid’s wantaway winger. Talks have allegedly been held with the player’s representatives and there could be a price tag of around £131m.
Real would supposedly consider offers in the ballpark of £80m, and given Semenyo has a £65m release clause with Bournemouth, it may be worth pushing ahead with a deal for Vini Jr instead, should a deal truly be doable.
Why Vini Jr should be Liverpool's top pick
It’s worth drawing attention right off the bat to Vinicius Junior’s contractual situation: the Brazil “superstar”, as he has been labelled by former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric, is halfway through the penultimate year of his deal, thus limiting the parameters Florentino Perez can set at the negotiating table.
The £400k-per-week talent has yet to fall toward a particular eventuality as he creeps toward the exit at Santiago Bernabeu, but Liverpool might be the perfect location for him, with the 25-year-old comfortably established as one of the world’s best forwards and sure to become one of Slot’s main men, playing off the left flank.
He might even prove himself to be a bigger talent than Isak. Liverpool’s star striker is one of the sharpest finishers in the game, with elite movement and athleticism when fully fit. But Vini boasts a unique repetoire.
Vinicius Jr vs Alexander Isak (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)
Vini Jr
Isak
Goals scored
0.28
0.59
Assists
0.28
0.12
Shots taken
3.29
2.83
Touches (att pen)
8.94
5.50
Shot-creating actions
5.25
2.20
Pass completion (%)
75.4
75.2
Progressive passes
3.42
2.52
Progressive carries
7.28
2.48
Successful take-ons
2.84
0.98
Ball recoveries
3.22
1.65
Tackles + interceptions
1.23
0.79
Data via FBref
While Vinicius Jr is more of a wide forward than a focal frontman like Isak, he has played plenty at number nine, and there’s no question that he has a wider breadth of quality to complement his ferocious killer instinct. The goals have dried up of late, but he’s scored bucketloads in his time.
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Even as he plods along through 2025/26, out of sorts and potentially feeling unloved in a team he has led to two Champions League titles, does Vincius Jr return solid numbers that would be hallmarks of lesser forwards’ careers. He has five goals and eight assists from 24 matches, having notched 22 goals and 19 assists across all competitions last year.
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Isak is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. One of the best in Europe. However, Vinicius Jr came within a whisker of Ballon d’Or gold, and he would arrive in Liverpool with a point to prove, taking control of an outfit that perhaps needs such a profile as Salah winds down.
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