The Mohamed Salah outburst following Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Southampton has sent shockwaves through the fanbase. The forward is clearly unimpressed by the club’s conduct during talks over a new deal and claimed that he has yet to see an offer on his table from the Reds. There is a sense of crisis around the club regarding Salah and the sudden realisation that he could really decide to walk away from Anfield on a free transfer next summer. The star man is unhappy and he has let the world know it.
Salah’s outburst could be two things. First, he is genuinely unhappy that Liverpool are dragging their feet in the negotiations or that the forward is putting pressure on the club to offer terms to his liking while being aware that in a public battle, the fans will back him over the owners.
Liverpool were being extra careful about keeping the negotiations behind closed doors and were avoiding getting into a public battle with their star man. However, Salah’s frustration has seemingly boiled over and he has let the world know that the club have not offered him a new contract with just seven months left on his current deal.
The Merseyside giants insist that there are way too many issues to sort out and there is no agreement in place for them to offer a new contract. But in the public arena, details and nuance do not have any shelf life. Salah’s decision to open his mouth has brought the issue into the sunlight.
There is now a real chance that Salah will leave Liverpool on a free transfer next summer as it seems difficult for the two sides to sort out their differences given there is a basic disagreement over the length of the proposed contract.
If there are no positive updates forthcoming in the next few weeks, Liverpool will likely turn their attention towards seeking a replacement for Salah.
Life after Salah and how Liverpool could look?
Salah has been synonymous with Liverpool since he joined the club in 2017. He has been pivotal to Liverpool winning the Champions League and the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp and has become one of the club’s top five goalscorers ever. The Egyptian is a modern Premier League and Liverpool great and will go down as one of the legends at Anfield.
The 3-2 win over Southampton on Sunday showed Salah’s importance to the team as he scored the two goals needed to win all three points at St. Mary’s. He has been doing this for more than seven years now – rescuing Liverpool and turning losing positions into winning ones. His departure will leave a hole in the team that could be too hard to fill but the club will have to try to move forward.
Can you name the team Liverpool sold these players to?
One could say that replacing Salah with one player would be close to impossible but Liverpool need someone to occupy the right-wing position and there is one player in Europe who can add that level of dynamism in that area of the pitch – Raphinha. The Brazilian winger has been one of the most dangerous wide players this season. His performances have played a massive role in turning the Catalan giants into the favourites to win La Liga under new manager Hansi Flick.
Raphinha is also Premier League-proven from his time at Leeds and will not need time to settle down. He is one player who could come in and hit the ground running from the moment he arrives.
However, as I said, one player can’t replace Salah so why not add his Egyptian heir to the team? Omar Marmoush dreams of succeeding his idol at Anfield and is almost certain to leave Eintracht Frankfurt. Liverpool need a striker even with the 32-year-old in the team but without him, the need for a reliable goalscorer will only become more pressing. Marmoush will add goals to the squad and give Arne Slot a reliable striker.
It can be expected that together Raphinha and Marmoush will be able to at least soften the blow of losing Salah in the summer. Will they cost a lot of money? Definitely, but you can’t ‘Moneyball’ your way into replacing one of the greatest forwards to wear the Liverpool shirt.
Probable eleven next season without Salah: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Zubimendi, MacAllister, Gravenberch, Diaz, Marmoush, Raphinha
