Contributors from Liverpool FC at The ECHO evaluate how Mohamed Salah might be successfully replaced by the Reds.

“Two significant issues for Liverpool to think about.”.

When it comes to properly replacing Mohamed Salah in this squad, Paul Gorst says Liverpool has two significant issues to take into account.

First off, as one of the best players in the world, there aren’t many who can do for the Reds what the Egyptian international does, and the fact that he’s the club’s top scorer during the Premier League era and ranks fifth all-time speaks to that fact.

Any team would have a very difficult time finding another player who could produce the same results.

The star of Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe is arguably the only player who could legitimately describe himself as an effective replacement. And that’s before we consider the fact that Salah is positioned on the left rather than the right, where the France international operates most of the time.

Interestingly, according to the scouting tool Fbref, the two players most “similar” to Salah are Donyell Malen of Borussia Dortmund and Moussa Diaby of Aston Villa, neither of whom would be out of the Reds’ reach.
The issue is whether they can fill Salah’s goal-scoring gap.

While Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli was one of the best in all of Europe last season as he led the Italians to the Serie A title, Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton is a young wideman of real Premier League class.

Although both players would be thrilling additions that would keep fans on the edge of their seats, their numbers are overwhelmingly outnumbered by Salah’s, and they are both most effective when playing on the left.

While there are undoubtedly some exciting young wingers in the world of football, the Reds are unlikely to find a like-for-like replacement.
As a result, they could consider using the funds received for Salah to bolster the team in a similar manner to how the 2018 acquisitions of Fabinho, Alisson Becker, and Virgil van Dijk lessened the impact of Philippe Coutinho’s departure.

In addition to Salah, the Reds already have four other players in their forward line, so if they add more players up top, there is a chance those players won’t see as much action as they would like.

What exactly does Liverpool do in this situation—try to match up as closely as possible, or do they buy talent and spend the remaining money elsewhere?

There is a small pool of top-tier right-sided wingers on the market. Bukayo Saka’s transfer from Arsenal would be a risky move, but the Gunners would not consider it.
For the club’s recruitment department, a Salah-less Liverpool is a major headache.

Liverpool may not even bother trying, according to this statement.

No athlete is irreplaceable, says Ian Doyle. The truth is that most clubs would have dissolved into nothing if it weren’t for their inability to carry on after the loss of a key player.

However, some players are harder to replace than others, and Mohamed Salah undoubtedly belongs to that group.
And it’s possible Liverpool doesn’t even try.

Over the past six years, a large portion of the Reds’ attacking play has focused on getting the best possible performance out of Salah.
That explains how the Egyptian, a left-footed right winger, has been able to score so many goals and why he keeps coming close to breaking more long-standing club records.

With another player, it would be very challenging to duplicate that effect.
Thus, the Reds may be best served by readjusting their forward strategy in light of Salah’s departure, which will likely occur sooner rather than later and may even happen as early as next summer given Saudi Arabia’s anticipated return.

Although the young right-wingers Ben Doak and the thankfully recovered Kaide Gordon are highly regarded, they are still in the early stages of their careers and have much to learn.
With Salah gone, Liverpool now has access to what is likely to be a large sum of money; the very least they can do is hound Arsenal for Bukayo Saka.

The hiring team will have someone else in mind if the England player is unavailable. There is always.

The first athlete that comes to mind is Kylian Mbappe.

Theo Squires: When Liverpool acquired Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, they accomplished what once seemed impossible.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp once had an unbeatable front three, but the Reds’ most recent January additions have made a seamless transition in place of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

The most challenging assignment will fall to the club’s upcoming attacking addition.
Mohamed Salah may eventually move to Saudi Arabia, so Liverpool may need to find a replacement for the Egyptian player within the next 12 months.
It is an unpleasant task for the club as well as any potential successor.

The first celebrity to mind is Kylian Mbappe.
Although the best player in the world in waiting would be a lethal replacement for Liverpool’s Egyptian King, he may not be a natural like-for-like replacement as an inverted forward because he is not left-footed.

But in reality, his salary would be too high for the Reds to afford.
I’ll turn to North London instead.
He would be the ideal replacement if you could entice Bukayo Saka away from Arsenal.

The Gunners’ inverted forward, who is only 22 years old, is still doing well and contributing more goals and assists than is fair.
Of course, it would be difficult to persuade Arsenal to sell after they helped propel them back into the Champions League by challenging for the Premier League title last year. Liverpool should be at the door this year if there is any slip-up.

Dejan Kulusevski, who plays for Tottenham, also has a good look.
The Swedish international, who is still only 23 years old, has been fantastic for Spurs over the past 18 months, but he lacks Salah, Mbappe, or even Saka’s level of goal threat.
However, you might not even need him to be there given that Darwin Nunez appears to be waking up as the Reds adjust.

“Rodrygo from Real Madrid is an exciting option.”.

Lewis Underwood: Mohamed Salah’s future may be crucial to the success of Liverpool’s squad rebuild, but it won’t be simple.

How to make sure Salah’s successor can match his prolific goal threat is perhaps the most crucial question Liverpool must ask itself when searching for a replacement for Salah.
Only a select few players come to mind when searching throughout Europe for one who meets the criteria.

Without mentioning Kylian Mbappe, who scored an impressive 29 goals for PSG in Ligue 1 last season, it is impossible to talk about a replacement for Salah. Mbappe would, however, bring a lot of media attention, which might cause issues for Klopp and his group.

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is a different player who potentially possesses the skills to fill the Salah-shaped void in this Liverpool team. Despite not being as skilled in front of goal as the Egyptian at this point in his career, Saka had his best season to date last season, scoring 25 goals and dishing out 25 assists in the Premier League and being a key component of Arsenal’s surprise title challenge.

With that said, it seems extremely unlikely that the Gunners would even consider letting the player they fondly refer to as their “starboy” leave, much less to a direct rival.

The Serie A champions Napoli have an intriguing option in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Kvaratskhelia, who was acquired from the Russian club Rubin Kazan, proved to be a gem in the rough.
Together with Victor Osimhen, he led Napoli to their first Serie A championship in more than 30 years.

Although the Georgian would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to Klopp’s team, the winger was primarily used on the left side of Napoli’s attack and as such would have to adapt to the right, where Salah plays.
Real Madrid’s top attacker, Rodrygo, has the advantage of playing on the right side for the Spanish powerhouses.

Rodrygo, who is only 22 years old, has time on his side and has already begun to demonstrate his talent by scoring 17 goals and dishing out 25 assists in La Liga during the previous season.
The winger may develop into a star.

The Brazilian unfortunately falls short of Salah’s numbers, as has been a recurring theme on this list, though his age and potential may be more significant factors for Liverpool’s hiring team. Salah will be difficult to replace, that much is certain.