Liverpool came very close to signing Mexican winger Cesar Huerta in the summer transfer window, only for an “issue” to derail the move.
The Reds were one of the quietest clubs in the Premier League over the summer, with the signings of Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili coming late in the window. Arne Slot was happy with what he inherited from Jurgen Klopp but they were still on the lookout for wingers.
That is because Mohamed Salah has entered the final year of his current contract and therefore could leave on a free transfer next June. Salah has a staggering 214 goals and 92 assists in 352 games for Liverpool so replacing him is not an easy task.
But according to reports, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and his team had identified Pumas UNAM star Huerta as someone who could fit the bill. The 23-year-old has caught the eye in Mexico and Liverpool had a plan in place to sign him before sending him out on loan to Sunderland for the 2024/25 season.
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Ultimately that did not happen, reportedly because Sunderland pulled the plug to leave Huerta disappointed. "There was an issue,” he told AS. “I had my suitcase ready, but it fell through because of an issue. I know that sooner or later, if I keep doing things right, I’ll get the opportunity. I know it's a train that only comes once and I’m focused on Pumas."
Huerta has 17 goals and 12 assists in 76 games for Pumas since joining from Guadalajara in 2022. He’s earned 11 caps for Mexico, scoring twice, and is considered a star on the rise in his native country.
He could still achieve his dream of moving to Liverpool after Salah said the current campaign would be his last at Liverpool. Speaking after scoring in the 3-0 win over Manchester United, Salah said: “This is my last year with the club and I want to enjoy it. I feel I am free to play football – we will see what happens next year.”
Slot is not worried about losing his Egyptian star though. “It’s a lot of ‘if’. At this moment he is one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours and he played really well,” he told Sky Sports at Old Trafford. “I don’t talk about contracts from players but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today.”
Salah is in the same situation as Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, leaving Slot and Hughes with lots of work to do in the coming months. At the moment, all three star players are free to leave on June 30 and that could cast a cloud over Liverpool’s campaign.
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