Liverpool favorite says rising England star can change Mohamed Salah in switch plan
EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and the Reds must already look to put their contingency plan in action and figure out how to replace the Egyptian
Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season(Image: Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and the process has already begun at Anfield to replace the Egyptian.
The 33-year-old winger is a shadow of his former self now but Salah was central to Liverpool’s success during his nine years on Merseyside, and a hole that big will need a more than capable alternative.
Despite it looking as though Salah’s Liverpool career would be over in the January transfer window after he spat his dummy out and claimed he’d been ‘thrown under the bus’ after Arne Slot dropped him to the bench for a handful of games. The two have ended their public feud and Salah looks set to receive a send-off his career has deserved.
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Speaking to the Daily Star Sport via Bovada, former Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel stated that although Salah’s exit will be a sad one, he’s sure it has happened at the right time.
He said: “It seems the right time for both parties I think. To offer the two year deal was very important as the club didn’t want to lose Trent (Alexander-Arnold) and Mo in the same summer, so with Mo staying this helped.
“Mo can now have the perfect send off to what has been an unbelievable career at Liverpool, one of the all time greats at the club with all his goals, assists, and medals.
“With Arne Slot making the signings he has done last summer, he can look to further implement his style as Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz can have a good pre-season together to be able to start next season stronger.
“He’s up there with Dalglish, Rush, etc, for sure. As a supporter for Liverpool as well, I am upset he will be leaving, but we can enjoy him for a little while longer this season. All good things come to an end at some stage and he will be missed.”
Friedel continued to discuss who he would look to sign as Salah’s replacement if the decision were up to him. But the former Reds stopper admitted it will be an almost impossible job to sign a direct alternative.
He said: “So, you can’t just replace Mo Salah. You couldn’t just replace Thierry Henry, you couldn’t replace Gareth Bale at Spurs with one player only. So for Liverpool it may mean amending the style of the way the midfield is set up.
“With the goals and assists of Mo, losing that, you may have to shore up the defence a bit more. But looking at the team, players like Adam Wharton could work well in the centre of the pitch and then you still have top strikers at the club.
“You could look at Dembele from PSG as someone to bring in, who would definitely work on the right hand side where Mo plays.”
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will look to sign a like-for-like replacement for Salah or whether the club make a tactical change to a new system and era at Anfield.
