Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool exit now ‘inevitable,’ Arne Slot has been urged to snub a Real Madrid superstar for a ‘perfect’ Premier League alternative. See who could solve the Reds’ right-wing crisis.
It’s hard to talk about Liverpool in recent times without mentioning the magical Egyptian.
Whether it’s conversations surrounding his future at Anfield or his continued brilliance in front of goal, which saw him slot home a powerful penalty against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup, it’s nearly impossible to avoid mentioning the much-loved 33-year-old.
There certainly still seems to be life left in the Liverpool veteran’s legs, with Salah now up to seven goals and eight assists for the campaign, after emphatically powering home this spot-kick.
But, for as much as Liverpool fans love to revel in the magic of their beloved number 11, a lot of the post-match chatter centred on his future at the club, yet again, as Salah enters into the final year of his Anfield deal.
What does the future hold for Salah?
Salah, at 33 years of age, is entering into the twilight years of his decorated Liverpool career, whether he uproots shortly down the line or not.
A public falling out with Slot earlier in the season looked to have put the nail in the coffin of his extensive Reds stay, but the Egyptian has fought back and is now a regular again under the Dutchman.
This doesn’t mean he won’t be moved on, though, with Saudi Pro League interest always bubbling under the surface for Salah’s costly services.
There is a lot of unease in the air regarding the 33-year-old upping and leaving, with nobody quite sure what the end outcome is going to be, as Virgil Van Dijk even came out to herald his esteemed teammate as “irreplaceable” after the convincing FA Cup victory over the Seagulls.
Notable Liverpool player sales:
| Player | Destination | Fee (Approx) | Context |
| Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | £142m | Club record sale |
| Luis Suarez | Barcelona | £75m | Departed after title near-miss/golden boot |
| Luis Diaz | Bayern Munich | £65m | Major departure as Arne Slot refreshed squad |
| Sadio Mane | Bayern Munich | £35m | Ended a legendary spell with the club |
Yet, Liverpool have been here in the past with the likes of Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho exiting in big-money moves, who were once viewed as vital heartbeats of the squad, as one pundit now suggests a shock switch could be on the horizon to soften the blow of Salah finally leaving.
The shock star who could replace Salah
Liverpool have been linked with a long list of exciting stars to replace Salah, with RB Leipzig Yan Diomande sticking out as one notable name, among many.
However, the concern would be whether Diomande – who is only 19 years of age – would be able to instantly acclimatise to the pressures of the Premier League, irrespective of his sublime nine goals and five assists next to his name for the season.
If they want a Premier League-proven attacker, they should look to snap West Ham United stalwart Jarrod Bowen, as per pundit Andy Townsend when speaking to Boyles Sport, with the former Aston Villa midfielder hailing him as a forward presence who could do “really well” for the Reds, post-Salah.
After all, his goal record for West Ham even rivals Salah’s spectacular output for Slot and Co. over the years, with Bowen now up to a standout 103 goal contributions for the Hammers, who regularly find themselves in the lower depths of the top-flight.
Bowen’s overall numbers for West Ham by competition:
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Overall tally |
| Premier League | 226 | 64 | 46 | 110 |
| Europa League | 16 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| FA Cup | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| League Cup | 12 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Conference League | 11 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| CL qualifiers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 280 | 84 | 57 | 141 |
Capped 20 times at senior level for England, too, Townsend’s assertions do make a lot of sense, with the 29-year-old dubbed a “real threat” who could set Anfield alight if he swaps London for Liverpool shortly.
Townsend ends his thoughts by saying that Liverpool has “got to replace” Salah when the time is right, and while the likes of securing Diomande might be more eye-catching and future-focused, thinking outside the box with Bowen might well be a shrewd move also worth exploring.
