Five players Liverpool could target to replace Mohamed Salah - including two Premier League stars

The Egyptian winger could leave Anfield this summer after reportedly rejecting multiple contract offers.
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Mohamed Salah could leave Liverpool in the next 18 months as new contract talks rumble on.

The Egyptian’s current deal ends next summer, leaving the Reds with a worrying conundrum: sell Salah this summer or risk losing one of their greatest ever players on a free next year.

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Liverpool are a smartly-run club and will already be looking for replacements in case a deal cannot be agreed.

But how do you replace 153 goals and 53 assists in 239 games? How do you replace the most influential player during a period in which the club won the Champions League and the Premier League?

Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool hierarchy will be aware that no one will be able to replicate Salah’s output, but they will have to find a sufficient replacement nonetheless as they continue to push for honours on domestic and European fronts.

Below are five of the best options that Liverpool could look to.

Raphinha, 25, Leeds United

Liverpool could nick Raphinha from Leeds United for as little as £20m if they were to be relegated. Liverpool could nick Raphinha from Leeds United for as little as £20m if they were to be relegated.
Liverpool could nick Raphinha from Leeds United for as little as £20m if they were to be relegated.
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One of the most well-documented options to replace Salah is Leeds United winger Raphinha.

The 25-year-old signed from Rennes for just £17 million last summer and has since become one of the most exciting players in the league.

Last season he managed six goals and nine assists as Leeds finished ninth, and has increased his goal tally to nine already this season despite his side battling relegation.

What’s striking about the Brazilian is how consistently effective he is in possession, switching seamlessly from magical dribbling to incisive passing - he averages 5.21 dribbles and 2.28 key passes per 90 minutes.

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But what Klopp will love is the winger’s intensive work-rate. Having worked under Marcelo Bielsa and now Jesse Marsch, Raphinha has had to match his mercurial skills with constant defensive energy - an energy he seems not just to suffer but to relish.

While his goal contributions may not be as prolific as Salah, Raphinha’s relentless intensity both with and without the ball would suit Klopp’s side perfectly, and at just 25-years-old he is primed to develop into a world-class talent.

How much he would cost depends on Leeds’ Premier League status, but reports have suggested that he could leave for as little as £20 million if they go down.

Jarrod Bowen, 25, West Ham

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes that Liverpool are “seriously interested” in signing Jarrod Bowen (GiveMeSport)Transfer insider Dean Jones believes that Liverpool are “seriously interested” in signing Jarrod Bowen (GiveMeSport)
Transfer insider Dean Jones believes that Liverpool are “seriously interested” in signing Jarrod Bowen (GiveMeSport)

Another widely reported link - and another Premier League talent - comes from West Ham with Jarrod Bowen impressing in the capital.

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Also 25, Bowen left Hull City for West Ham back in January 2020 for just £20 million and has gone from strength to strength.

Eight goals and eight assists in the Premier League this season has put Bowen on the brink of an England call up and his performances for the Hammers have warranted as such.

And while his underlying statistics may not shine as bright as Raphinha’s - 1.38 key passes and 2.22 dribbles per 90 - Bowen’s nack of making things happen and being in the right place have earned him a place as one of the most dangerous forwards in the league.

More to Klopp’s liking, the former Hull man has competently operated both as a right-winger and a striker this season and has shown an incredible industry in all parts of the pitch.

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How fast Bowen will want to move on from West Ham may depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League, but their stance on Declan Rice has proven their negotiating strength and they won’t budge until their valuation is met - a reported £75m.

Serge Gnabry, 26, Bayern Munich

Serge Gnabry has just 18 months left on his contract and could be sold for a cut fee this summer. Serge Gnabry has just 18 months left on his contract and could be sold for a cut fee this summer.
Serge Gnabry has just 18 months left on his contract and could be sold for a cut fee this summer.

After unsuccessful Premier League spells at West Brom and Arsenal, Serge Gnabry was picked up by Werder Bremen where a breakthrough season earned him a move to Bayern Munich.

Since then, the German winger has developed into one of the most exciting players in Europe, scoring 60 goals in 161 appearances in all competitions.

The 26-year-old has 10 goals and four assists in the Bundesliga this season, as well as three goals and an assist in the Champions League.

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And his underlying stats show just how dangerous he can be: per 90 minutes, Gnabry is averaging 0.53 goals, 2.42 passes into the penalty area, 5.01 progressive passes, 6.17 touches in the penalty area and 4.69 dribbles - all in the top 10% of midfielders and wingers across Europe.

The former Arsenal man does play mostly on Salah’s side, but he is predominantly right-footed so would require a slight tweak in Klopp’s system, but he - much like Bowen - can comfortably move between all three forward positions.

Just like Salah, Gnabry’s contract ends next summer so he could be up for sale this summer at a cut fee as Bayern look to cash in while they can.

Arnaut Danjuma, 25, Villareal

Danjuma has been linked with an Anfield switchDanjuma has been linked with an Anfield switch
Danjuma has been linked with an Anfield switch

Villareal winger Arnaut Danjuma has emerged as one of Europe’s brightest talents on the wing since moving to Spain.

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He hit 15 goals and seven assists during Bournemouth’s 2020/2021 Championship season and was destined for a move to an elite club.

The move to Spain and to European football has been seamless, with the Dutch winger bagging eight goals and three assists in 18 La Liga games - he has also hit five goals in eight Champions League matches, including the third of a 3-0 win at Juventus on Wednesday.

Danjuma’s talents are raw but exciting and he can often be criticised for trying to run with the ball when it’s not necessary - his dribble success rate of 39.2% is in the bottom 11% of wingers in Europe - but at just 25 he could well be polished into a Salah-style final product by the time he peaks.

The winger is contracted at Villareal until 2026 and would demand a significant offer to entice the Yellow Submarine, but he - unlike Raphinha and Bowen - has proven himself on the European stage.

Antony, 22, Ajax

Ajax winger Antony could replace Salah although his work-rate could prove a problem for Klopp.Ajax winger Antony could replace Salah although his work-rate could prove a problem for Klopp.
Ajax winger Antony could replace Salah although his work-rate could prove a problem for Klopp.
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Ajax winger Antony is one of the most sought after talents in Europe at the moment, with Liverpool joining the likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester United in following the youngster.

It has been reported that Liverpool had been scouting him at Sao Paulo - who he left in 2020 - and then at Ajax where he has impressed massively with seven goals and four assists in 22 Eredivisie matches.

The Brazilian also played a key role in Ajax’s thrilling run to the Champions League last-16, scoring twice and assisting five in seven appearances and just 574 minutes - a goal contribution every 82 minutes.

His creative metrics - assists, passes into the penalty area, ball carries, shots on target, shot-creating actions - all rank among the top 5% of wingers across Europe, although it must be caveated with the fact he is playing in a league far-inferior to the elite of Europe.

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Additionally, Antony’s defensive work leaves a lot to be desired, especially for a manager like Klopp, with the winger in the bottom 25% for tackles won (0.69 per 90) and in the bottom 13% for pressures (12.14).

Whether this can be worked on at Liverpool would be a risk, but at 22 there is plenty of time to instil a Klopp-style work ethic and is valued by Ajax at £29 million.