da betway： There comes a time when a club must face the thought of one of their superstars leaving. Not in hostile, bitter circumstances, but because age has caught up with them, and it is the right time to close the door on their glittering stay.
da betobet： Steven Gerrard’s departure from Liverpool a decade ago was very much representative of this, but now, the Anfield side are beginning to understand that Mohamed Salah is likely into his final stretch at the club, having signed a new £400k-per-week contract in April that will take him to the end of next season.
Last year was Salah’s. The Egyptian forward decided one Premier League trophy wasn’t enough and embarked on a record-breaking journey toward his second title with Liverpool, scoring 29 goals and supplying 18 assists across the top-flight term.
The decline since the summer has been steep, and though there are a number of circumstances likely impacting his performance, Salah is 33 years old and claims that he is suffering the inevitability of a late-career wind down are justified.
Liverpool need a new right winger by the end of 2026/27, but they also need more energy and athleticism, with Salah not the only player culpable of lacking those elements this season.
Liverpool ready to search for Salah successor
There’s been a statistic floating about regarding Liverpool’s running metrics, and it’s concerning, to say the least. Only once across Liverpool’s past seven Premier League matches have they outrun their opponent.
Salah has been at the epicentre of this struggle. The veteran winger’s defensive work rate has decreased over the past several years, but his insane levels of prolificness have eased any frustration over this foible.
But now that his sharpened edge has been dulled, it’s becoming clear that Salah is a weak link, ranking among the bottom 4% of Premier League positional peers this season for tackles won and the bottom 15% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.
The sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich hasn’t helped things, with the Colombian among the most electric and tenacious forwards out there. Liverpool did not directly replace Diaz, who chalked up 25 goal contributions in all competitions for Arne Slot last year.
But Liverpool could find their new version of the 28-year-old in his Bayern teammate Michael Olise. According to Spanish sources, the France international is in Richard Hughes’ sights as Liverpool plan for the future, and the Reds are even believed to be preparing a British-record package worth €200m (about £177m).
Olise, 23, has been a revelation in Germany since joining from Crystal Palace over a year ago, and FSG know they need to replace Salah with an elite winger when the time does come.
What Olise would offer Liverpool
Since signing for Bayern in a £50m deal, Olise has scored 27 goals and supplied 30 assists across 72 matches. Widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in England, called a “magical footballer” by content creator HLTCO, he has established himself as a superstar.
An elegant and intelligent wide forward, Olise is not a clinical goalscorer, but he boasts so many athletic and technical qualities that could see him thrive as Salah’s successor, especially as he wouldn’t be trying to mimic the club legend’s playing style, rather, bring his own flavour.
In the Bundesliga this season, for example, the Les Bleus talent has averaged 1.9 key passes, 1.7 successful dribbles and 4.2 duels per match, as per Sofascore, with seven goal involvements from just eight starts.
Looking at the potential addition through a wider lens, we can see that Olise is actually outstripping Salah over many important metrics across the past year, and with Liverpool’s talisman seemingly declining in front of goal, that gulf will only stretch over the next 18 months.
Goals scored
0.62
0.38
Assists
0.33
0.50
Shots taken
3.08
3.55
Shot-creating actions
3.96
6.60
Touches (att pen)
8.64
6.48
Pass completion (%)
70.1
80.7
Progressive passes
3.78
7.15
Progressive carries
4.13
4.90
Successful take-ons
1.28
2.53
Ball recoveries
2.77
3.95
Olise is not so much of an out-and-out goalscorer as Salah, but in this, Liverpool could strike the jackpot.
With Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike both signed this summer, Liverpool have revamped their central attacking options. Olise would be the perfect add-on, bringing Diaz-esque dribbling and peerless playmaking back to the Premier League, helping Slot’s side’s overall fluency.
Though the Reds ostensibly have the parts to fashion stunning attacking play and sustain it, there’s no question that something is missing. When Salah leaves, that will only become clearer, with the struggles for form up top now that he is not on his A-game already being felt. For so long, Liverpool have been reliant on the iconic winger’s brilliance, and now they need new solutions.
It was a mistake on FSG and Slot’s part not to have added a direct Diaz replacement to their ranks this season, and the ramifications are certainly being felt, stretched and accentuated by Salah’s own woes on the right.
Were a younger iteration of Salah in this struggling Liverpool side, the sale of Diaz would not be so keenly felt. Now, it’s vital that Liverpool and Hughes get it right in sourcing a replacement.
You won’t find many better than Olise, and he has the perfect style of play to stand in the space that Salah will eventually vacate, not an imitation but his own, world-class player.
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