Liverpool are already looking to a future without Mohamed Salah and one star has emerged as the perfect replacement in the summer transfer window
Liverpool face a vital first-leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
The Reds suffered another crushing blow on Saturday as they were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. That loss now makes the Champions League the club’s sole remaining chance of silverware this campaign, with Arne Slot’s team also battling in the top-four fight in the Premier League.
It’s been a chaotic period both on and off the field recently, with the confirmation that Mohamed Salah is departing the club in the summer, while supporters’ demonstrations over increasing ticket costs are also scheduled in the coming days. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Steven Gerrard names Mo Salah’s replacement
Steven Gerrard reckons French talent Michael Olise could be the player to step into Salah’s shoes next term, reports the Mirror.
Since moving from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich last summer, the 24-year-old has shone in the Bundesliga; though the former Liverpool midfielder conceded it would be a difficult transfer to complete.
“The concern if you’re trying to Salah, like-for-like, there’s very few out there,” he said. “Olise would be one but I don’t think he’d be available. From experience, being around Liverpool, the recruitment team will have different options, that doesn’t necessarily mean like-for-like.
“When we had to replace [Sadio] Mane for example, we went for signed [Luis] Diaz who was slightly different, when [Luis] Suarez or [Fernando] Torres has left, they’ve had different type of options to replace the players.
“Liverpool have a fantastic record of replacing top players so I’ve got every confidence from a recruitment point of view that they’ll have different options.
“They’ll have to replace his goal involvements which is extremely difficult because he’s been incredible for Liverpool for many years.”
Dominik
Dominik Szoboszlai has disclosed his conversations with Salah, before the Egyptian revealed his decision to depart the club on a free transfer.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the Hungarian international shed light on his bond with the club’s talisman.
“To be honest, maybe you know, I am very close with Mo,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t have to talk too much about it because everyone knows.
“We had a lot of talks about what is going to happen in the future and it is his own decision. He is a grown man, it’s his own decision.
“He knows what to do. I think he is professional enough to act in a way that he has to because to leave with one of the trophies we are going for would be amazing.”
The midfielder also spoke about Salah’s standing as a Premier League legend and his reputation worldwide, saying: “The numbers speak for themselves, the stuff he has done on the pitch speaks for itself and he is one of the best that has ever played.
“That is not only for Liverpool, I think the world as well and I am happy I was lucky to play with him and I really happy that I can say he is one of my friends.
“He is every day in training being a good example for all of us. For the new guys, the old guys, everyone. He shows us about being a better player and a better human, so he has had a big impact on his career.
“Mo is one of my best friends in the squad, he is with me all the time but Milos [Kerkez] is with me as well all the time, so we are the three. Milos is my little brother and Mo is my big brother.”