Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing nine years at Anfield to an end after spearheading the club’s most successful period in recent history.
The 33-year-old has reached an agreement with the reigning Premier League champions that will see him close a chapter of his career that delivered every prize English football offers, plus the Champions League.
Having scored 255 goals from 435 appearances since signing from Roma in the summer of 2017, the Egyptian sits third in the club’s all-time goalscoring chart behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
Those numbers tell only part of the story. Salah redefined what Liverpool’s attacking threat looked like, adapting from pacey winger to menacing goalscorer as the years progressed.
The focus for Salah and Liverpool now is finishing the season strongly. It’s been a transitional year under Arne Slot, who has tried to integrate new signings Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez alongside an established group that lifted the title last season.
Club-record signing Alexander Isak has returned from the broken leg he suffered in December, giving Salah and company a timely boost as they look to secure a top-four spot in the Premier League.
However, the Champions League dream is over for another season. Liverpool were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, with Luis Enrique’s side proving too strong once again after dumping the Reds out on penalties last season en route to lifting the trophy in Munich. Salah’s last dance at Anfield has ended not with a final bow but with a cruel hamstring tear, the injury sustained in Liverpool’s win over Crystal Palace likely ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Egypt’s national team director Ibrahim Hassan confirmed the hamstring tear will require four weeks of treatment, meaning Salah, who applauded the Anfield crowd as he limped off in the 60th minute, perhaps for the very last time in a Liverpool shirt. It is a bittersweet end to a remarkable era, and the focus now turns to finishing the league campaign strongly and securing European football for next season.
The big question for Slot, or whoever is in charge next term, lies in how you replace the goals and mentality of someone like Salah.
After such an expensive summer 12 months ago, the question is whether FSG return to their traditional transfer model or splash the cash once more.
Here are the favourites linked with Anfield for next season and whether they have what it takes to be the next Salah.
Rayan
Only just signed for Bournemouth in January, Rayan looks explosive and exciting in ways that have caught the attention of bigger clubs already.
The Brazilian winger has adapted to the Premier League’s intensity remarkably quickly, showing the kind of raw talent that makes scouts dream about potential rather than proven production.
He looks like he could force his way into Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad ahead of the aging Neymar, and a strong showing at the World Cup this summer could get sporting director Richard Hughes’ attention. Liverpool have a history of identifying talents before they become expensive. Rayan fits that profile. Young, hungry, Premier League-tested and available for a fraction of what established stars would cost.
Bradley Barcola
The PSG winger offers another exciting option, known for his speed, flair and attacking intelligence. Barcola has been highlighted as a player capable of bringing dynamism and unpredictability to Liverpool’s attack in ways that would suit Slot’s system perfectly.
While he’s less of a proven goalscorer than Salah, his ceiling is extremely high. He knows how to find the net in big games, which matters more than raw stats when evaluating potential replacements.
If Bradley Barcola wants to escape the shadow of Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé — the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, currently 8/1 with UK betting sites to complete a back-to-back win, a move could make sense for both parties.
Yankuba Minteh
Minteh represents a more developmental option but comes with strong upside and a crucial advantage. Having previously worked under Arne Slot at Feyenoord, he already understands the tactical demands required.
That familiarity could accelerate his adaptation to Liverpool’s system in ways that external signings struggle to achieve.
Still raw, Minteh would need time to refine his finishing and decision-making at the Premier League level. But his pace, directness and understanding of what Slot requires could make him a smart long-term investment.
Liverpool has succeeded with this model before. Sadio Mané arrived from Southampton with obvious talent but needed coaching to become elite. Minteh has that same potential trajectory.
Yan Diomandé
Still unproven, but possessing immense potential, the 19-year-old Ivorian could evoke shades of Salah or Sadio Mané’s early moves to Anfield. Both arrived as prospects with obvious talent, then developed into world-class forwards that hit the ground running.
Diomandé has that same profile. Electric pace and the kind of fearlessness that suggests he won’t be intimidated by the step up in competition.
At 19, he represents the ultimate gamble. Sign him now from RB Leipzig, and he could become the next great Liverpool forward. Wait too long and another club snatches him up before his price becomes prohibitive.
The challenge for Liverpool is that Diomandé will need time to adapt to English football’s intensity and the specific demands of playing for a club where expectations are relentless. Salah had the luxury of being an additional piece rather than the main replacement when he arrived. Diomandé wouldn’t have that grace period, which could impact his development in ways that hurt both player and club.
Michael Olise
Liverpool’s long-standing admiration for Michael Olise has run headfirst into a familiar obstacle in Germany. Bayern Munich are not merely reluctant to sell.
They would reportedly demand £200 million for his services, a figure that would shatter Liverpool’s transfer record and fundamentally alter FSG’s entire recruitment philosophy.
It’s a dream move, but one that requires FSG to splash the cash in ways they’ve historically avoided. Olise is Premier League-proven, having starred for Crystal Palace before his move to Germany.
He’s just hitting the prime years of his career at 24, and his ability to operate across the front line gives Slot tactical flexibility that few other players offer.
If he came in and had half the career Salah did, he would be remembered on the Kop for years to come.
The Impossible Task
Replacing Mohamed Salah was never going to be straightforward. You don’t simply find another player who scores over 250 goals across nine seasons whilst maintaining the kind of consistency that defines elite forwards. But Liverpool’s recruitment team has a track record of identifying talents before they become obvious choices.
What’s certain is that whoever arrives at Anfield next season will face immense pressure to fill boots that might prove impossible to replace. Salah didn’t just score goals. He defined an era. The next chapter begins this summer, and Liverpool’s next few seasons depend on getting it right.
