- Liverpool should listen to John Barnes
- Direct Mo Salah replacement is not possible
- Midfield should be the focus this summer
Mohamed Salah’s exit decision has left the club scrambling to find the ideal placement, but John Barnes believes that they should not be heading in that direction.
The legendary striker was on talkSPORT last week, when he said the Reds should not sign a big-name replacement for Salah this summer. He admitted that goal scoring is an issue for Arne Slot’s side, but the solution is never a single player.
“In terms of replacements, if you look at what we have, our problem is going forward and scoring goals. I mean, if we look at Wirtz, Ekitike, and Isak, we’ve got Ngumoha, we’ve still got Gakpo. I don’t feel that we necessarily have to replace him, because I don’t think that the solution is to go and get another player and give him £400,000 a week to replace Mo Salah.
Barnes went on to state that the number of attackers at the club are more than enough. He pointed at the midfield and defense as the bigger issue and said:
“We have enough strikers, we have enough attackers. Our problem is in midfield and defence, that’s really what we have to do. So I don’t think we have to go and replace him necessarily.”
At first glance, fans will be taken aback by the comments, but Barnes is right. The need of the hour at Anfield is midfield additions rather than a winger.
Current midfielders have been overworked this season
Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Alexis Mac Allister have been the main midfielders this season. The trio has each played over 2000 minutes in the Premier League, while the next midfielder with the most minutes is Curtis Jones with 1350.
While there is no doubt that the trio have been on top of their game and stood out in this subpar season, one injury to any of them would see the coach scrambling to fill in the slots.
Wataru Endo’s injury is a key reason they have not been able to rotate, while Trey Nyoni is yet to show he is ready to get more minutes on the pitch.
Slot’s squad needs more midfielders, who not just chip in but also rotate with the main trio often to give them enough rest.
While some might argue that Florian Wirtz can be one of the three midfielders in the lineup, having played over 2000 minutes this season, the German has often done better when he is on the wings.
Signing at least two midfielders who can come in and fit into the starting XI at Anfield is important this summer. Moreover, the club need to think about the long-term, as Mac Allister has confirmed that contract talks have not taken place amid links with Real Madrid.
Nobody can replace Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah’s numbers this season are rather poor by his standards. However, the winger has still managed to score five goals and assist six times in the Premier League, which is usually considered the average for a winger.
Signing one player and hailing him as the direct replacement for the Egyptian king would be adding pressure on the player, while offering him a big-money contract would break the wage structure the club has slowly managed to maintain at Anfield.
Michael Olise and Yan Diomande are touted as the top targets for the summer, but a move for the Bayern Munich winger has been stopped even before it was set in motion. The Bundesliga champions have said that they would not entertain €200 million offers, as they see him as a key part of the squad.
And most importantly, all clubs around the world know that the Reds need a winger to replace Salah and will be holding out for more fees – something the Reds cannot afford to lavishly spend, as the other areas in the squad will suffer.
The ideal scenario for the club next season would be using Wirtz and Chiesa as the main options on the right wing, if they cannot get a good replacement for the outgoing Egyptian.
