THREE NAMES EMERGE: THE SHOCKING PLAN TO REPLACE LIVERPOOL’S MOHAMED SALAH
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler says the Reds are eyeing long-term successors for Mohamed Salah. He names Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo, Brighton's Yankuba Minteh, and Everton's Iliman Ndiaye as potential transfer targets.
Salah Successors Named - Photo Credit: Getty Images
Robbie Fowler, a Liverpool legend, thinks the Reds will look at three players, including one from Everton, to replace the ageing Mohamed Salah. Last season, when Arne Slot's team won the Premier League title, the 33-year-old was a standout player.
In 52 matches across all competitions, the Egyptian netted an impressive 34 goals and assisted his teammates with 23 more. However, this season, he has struggled to match that performance, recording only five goals and three assists in 16 games.
Salah is among several key players facing criticism for Liverpool's recent drop in performance.
His contract at Anfield was supposed to end before the start of the 2025–26 Premier League season, but he signed a new deal to stay with the Reds. Since then, the forward has had a tough time.
The Reds are reportedly looking at potential successors for when Salah eventually leaves, as his current contract runs out in the summer of 2027.
Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65 million release clause that kicks in January, has often been linked to a move to Anfield as Salah's replacement. He has also made a strong impact on Andoni Iraola's team this season.
Fowler, a former striker for Liverpool, shared his views on the interesting possibility of Iliman Ndiaye making an unexpected move across the city. He also discussed the potential transfer of Ghanaian international Semenyo from Bournemouth to Anfield.
"I saw Liverpool were linked with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo," Fowler said in an interview with Adventure Gamers.
"The great thing about the Premier League is that Yakuba Minteh has been excellent for Brighton.
"When a player performs well, you will see interest from other teams.
Would Brighton want him to leave? No.
"Neither Everton nor Bournemouth will want Ndiaye to leave, and they won’t want Semenyo to leave either.
"Even though Salah just signed a new contract, he won’t be here forever.
"However, Liverpool will try to sign anyone they think can fill that role."
LIVERPOOL STAND FIRM ON IBRAHIMA KONATé DECISION AS MADRID KEEP CIRCLING
Liverpool has made a "final" contract offer to Ibrahima Konaté, making him a top earner. The defender, linked with Real Madrid, must now decide his future with his current deal expiring soon.
Liverpool confirms Konate intentions - Stephen Flynn/ProSports / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Ibrahima Konate, who recently spoke out about the rumours circling his future, reportedly makes a "final" contract choice for Liverpool.
Ibrahima Konate recently spoke out about the rumours about his future, and it appears that Liverpool has made a "final" contract decision.
The France international will be leaving the Premier League winners on a free transfer as of right now, and starting in January, he is free to negotiate a contract with other teams.
Konate's next destination has long been Real Madrid, but the 26-year-old defender has also reportedly attracted serious interest from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
While on international duty with France, Konate made two statements regarding his contract status. The first stated that he had not received an offer of an extension but expressed hope that the issue would be settled quickly.
The former RB Leipzig player then acknowledged that, while his future is uncertain, he was concerned about his bond with Liverpool fans; nevertheless, new sources have refuted Konate's assertions.
Ibrahima Konate receives Liverpool's "final contract offer"
Reporter Sacha Tavolieri of Sky Sports Switzerland claims that Liverpool has now extended their final contract offer to Konate, whom they consider to have been "extremely nice."
Although the specifics of the agreement are unknown, it has been stated that Liverpool is willing to make Konate one of the highest-paid players in Arne Slot's team with their final renewal offer. This means that Konate may anticipate a substantial increase in his current weekly wage of £70,000.
Capology claims that 17 players at Anfield make more money than Konate, including injury-plagued defender Joe Gomez and backup goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who both make £85k, and periphery winger Federico Chiesa, who makes £150,000 per week.
The 15-time European winners are still "flirting" with the centre-back, who would share a dressing room with Trent Alexander-Arnold again if he rejects Liverpool's offer, according to the source, which also states that Konate has "always wanted" to don the Real Madrid jersey.
According to reports, the 26-year-old will decide his future in the "coming weeks," which means that by the time the January transfer window arrives, his next professional move may have been decided.
Although he has been criticised for a marked decline in his performances, Konate has made 15 appearances across all events this season and is still a mainstay of the Liverpool lineup despite his contract uncertainty.
Since joining the Reds in 2021, the Frenchman has played in 148 games across all competitions, tallying six goals and four assists while taking home five major awards and one runners-up medal from the Champions League.
In January, should Liverpool think about selling Ibrahima Konate?
The Reds will not be able to duplicate their Alexander-Arnold Club World Cup trick next year, so if Konate rejects Liverpool's last offer, the January transfer window will be their last chance to recover some of the £35.2 million they spent on Leipzig for his services four years ago.
A few weeks before the right-back's contract was set to expire, Liverpool paid £8.4 million for him. However, since the Reds are already competing for the top four and require defensive depth after Giovanni Leoni's ACL injury, it would be foolish to trade Konate in January.
Bringing in at least one of Marc Guehi, Dayot Upamecano, or Nico Schlotterbeck would surely lessen the pain, even though the Premier League champions might lose the Frenchman for free in the summer.
FRANCE FINISH QUALIFIERS STRONG, LIVERPOOL STARS EKITIKE, KONATE STRUGGLE
France ended their World Cup qualifying with a 3-1 win over Azerbaijan. Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate captained the side, but he and teammate Hugo Ekitike received mixed-to-poor ratings from the French media despite the victory.
French Media Roast Ekitike - Photo Credit: Getty Images
With a convincing win over Azerbaijan, France concluded their World Cup qualifying campaign in fine fashion, despite the French media's unsatisfactory ratings of the Liverpool team in action.
Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konate both started the 3-1 triumph in Baku and played the entire 90 minutes, which may not have pleased Arne Slot because neither team had anything on the line.
Both players, however, seemed to emerge from their most recent test unhurt; Konate was even granted the privilege of leading his nation in Kylian Mbappe's absence due to injury.
Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace was one of the goals scored as Didier Deschamps' team overcame an early scare after falling behind within the first four minutes. Neither team was able to put themselves on the scoresheet.
Although the French media did not seem very impressed, France made sure to finish its qualifying run on a high note because they had already guaranteed their spot before the game started.
Among those who shared their player ratings was Footmercato, where Konate and Ekitike received bad scores.
Konate received a 5 out of 10, and his assessment read: "The Liverpool defender was rather solid, even though he said he did not really understand his demotion but that he would fight to regain his starting place with Les Bleus."
He held his own in aerial duels and dominated in duels thanks to his skillful distribution and flair with the ball at his feet. A noteworthy performance against a comparatively weak opponent.
Even worse, Ekitike only received a 4/10. The report said: "The former PSG player struggled more tonight after a strong start to the season with Liverpool and an outstanding performance as a substitute against Ukraine on Thursday.
There are affiliate links in this post, and we will get paid if any sales are brought about by them. Find out more
With Mateta and Nkunku in an odd setup, the lanky striker might not have had enough room to express himself. Infrequently active and often unavailable, he missed some fundamental possibilities and did not make an impression.
"A memorable match, but one that should not eclipse his overall outstanding performance."
Maxifoot's assessments were not much more forgiving, and the Liverpool pair only slightly improved.
"Captain for the day, the Liverpool center-back, initially under pressure, rapidly restored order at the back," said the evaluation that gave Konate a 6.5. After the first half-hour, he embodied the team's increasing strength since he was better positioned, more skilled at predicting attacks, and strong in covering.
In contrast, Ekitike received a 5.5. According to his evaluation, the Liverpool striker "made runs, showed passion, and contributed to the play, but remained too imprecise in the final pass or shot." Although he lacked efficiency and a final touch, he had several strong moments. Not totally convincing, but a respectable performance.
As we approach the end of 2025, supporters are hoping that Konate's contract predicament may be swiftly settled so that both he and Ekitike can return to Merseyside.
They will be hoping to get back to action with Liverpool on Saturday when the Reds entertain Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, assuming neither player sustained any injuries in Azerbaijan.