Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah is continually being linked with a move away from Anfield in 2025, so TT has taken a look at seven potential replacements for the Reds legend.
Salah took his tally to 48 goals in 90 Champions League games, making him the highest-scoring African player in the competition’s history, in Liverpool‘s win over Bologna on Wednesday evening.
While the records continue to tumble for the Anfield legend, he now has under nine months left on his contract at Anfield and will be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas suitor of his choice from January 1.
Talks over an extension are expected to step up in the coming days but Salah has yet to publicly speak out on his future since that “as you know this is my last year” bombshell delivered live on Sky Sports following the 3-0 win at Manchester United at the very start of last month.
However, in the wake of those comments, a whole flurry of claims and counter-claims have been made about the player’s future and with his current £350,000 arrangement due to expire on June 30.
Worryingly for Liverpool, clubs in the Saudi Pro League continue to lurk when it comes to one of the Premier League’s top performers of the last seven years.
And that lure leads TT to look at seven players who could replace the great man on Merseyside…
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Jarrod Bowen
Another player who has been linked with a switch to Merseyside on multiple occasions as he continues to show up as West Ham’s main attacking threat.
The England international scored 20 goals and provided 10 assists in 44 games in all competitions for the Hammers last season and has started the new campaign in fine form too.
He’s previously been referred to as the “claret and blue Salah,” which suggests there is no better man to replace the Egpytian with than Bowen.
The former Hull City man was certainly a favourite of former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who stated before West Ham played the Reds last season that the attacker was his “favourite player” apart from his own.
However, it’s previously been suggested that Liverpool will need to offer West Ham somewhere in the region of £80-100million in order to sign Bowen. That is because the Irons have managed to tie him down to a long-term deal, which runs until June 2030.
Leroy Sane
Sane has been consistently linked with a switch to Anfield for time, with the latest reports suggesting that Arne Slot is pushing for a bargain January deal for the winger.
The former Manchester City attacker will be out of contract in the summer of 2025, and it’s reported that he is not happy with the new offer on the table from Bayern Munich given that includes a pay cut.
In three full seasons for Man City he scored 39 goals and provided 46 assists. His best return in a Premier League season was 10 goals and 15 assists, not too far a level below some of Salah’s campaigns.
While he mostly played out left for City, Sane has occupied the right-wing spot often for Bayern and has scored 49 goals and added 50 assists in 179 games for the Bundesliga giants.
Liverpool might have it all their own way if they do decide to pursue the Germany international, with Arsenal and Newcastle also named as potential suitors.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The Napoli attacker is another top name who has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time, having excelled during his time in Serie A – although it’s reported that he wants out in the hope of a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Kvaratskhelia has been considered one of the best wingers in Europe over the last few seasons and impressed for Georgia at Euro 2024.
The 23-year-old joined Napoli in 2022 and has made 96 appearances for the Italian giants, scoring 28 goals and providing 28 assists in the process.
Kvaratskhelia is very popular with the club’s fanbase and his excellent performances have earned him the nickname ‘Kvaradona’ – in homage to legendary figure Diego Maradona.
If he was targeted by the Reds, there would potentially need to be a change around in the frontline as Kvaratskhelia tends to do his best work from the left.
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Rodrygo
Despite some reports to the contrary, Real Madrid are reportedly warming to the idea of Rodrygo leaving amid ongoing claims Liverpool are interested in the Brazil ace.
Rodrygo officially joined Real Madrid in July 2019 when the La Liga giants paid Santos £37.6million (€45m / US$50.3m) for him. The deal had been agreed a year earlier, when the winger was just 17 years old.
The 23-year-old Rodrygo has managed 57 goals and 43 assists in 226 games for Madrid so far. It was thought that he might lose his starting spot following Kylian Mbappe’s arrival over the summer, but Rodrygo has enjoyed a great start to the season and has found the back of the net in Madrid’s last two league outings.
He predominantly lines up on the right wing, so is a like-for-like swap for Salah, but can can also play on the left or through the middle.
Rodrygo will not come cheap though. Indeed, there have been suggestions that he might be available for £83.6m (€100m / US$111.8m), but it is more likely that Liverpool will have to smash the Premier League transfer record to snap him up.
Bryan Mbeumo
TEAMtalk recently revealed that Liverpool are among several Premier League clubs making regular checks on the in-form Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo.
The 25-year-old has started the season in red-hot form for Brentford with five goals in the opening six Premier League games, including spectacular efforts against Tottenham and West Ham.
Mbeumo was Brentford’s second top scorer last season after netting 10 goals in all competitions, despite missing almost four months of the campaign with an ankle injury.
The Cameroon international’s versatility, in that he can play on the right wing like Salah or anywhere across the forward line and his Premier League experience, appeals to Liverpool.
The Reds also enjoy good working relationship with their Brentford counterparts having sold Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg to the Bees over the summer transfer window.
It’s certainly a transfer that ticks a number of boxes, with a fee in the region of £50m being mooted.
Raphinha
Having carried Leeds on his back in the 2021/22 season with 11 goals and three assists in the Premier League, the Brazilian has continued to star for Barcelona, where he has been directly involved in 55 goals in 97 games so far.
Both Tottenham and Manchester United have been linked with Raphinha in the past, while it’s emerged that he turned down the chance to join Chelsea and two Saudi Pro League clubs over the summer.
Liverpool also remain the mix though for a player who, like Salah, is a left-footed right-winger who loves to cut inside and do damage with his stronger foot.
That means the Reds would not have to change their tactics all too much if he was to join.
Trying to get Raphinha away from Barcelona will prove hugely tricky though after he displayed his loyalty over the summer when the Catalan giants could easily have cashed in due to their ongoing financial issues.
That being said, a substantial offer from the Reds could still end up with a positive outcome on Merseyside.
Johan Bakayoko
The exciting PSV winger was strongly linked with a move away from the Dutch outfit over the summer, with even the club’s own sporting director claiming “I don’t think Bakayoko will play at PSV next season.”
Liverpool and Man City were both linked with the 21-year-old at that time, with Bakayoko deemed one of the more affordable options to replace Salah. Indeed, it’s believed that his base value is currently around £42m (€50m, $55m).
The Belgium international registered 14 goals and 14 assists for PSV last season before representing his country at Euro 2024.
Bakayoko has also started the new campaign well with two goals and two assists in nine games in all competitions although, at this stage, he is more of an outsider than some of the other names mentioned.
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