EXPERT BREAKDOWN: ANALYZING THE TOP THREE ELITE WINGERS SHORTLISTED TO REPLACE MOHAMED SALAH
With Mo Salah’s future uncertain, Liverpool targets Yan Diomande, Rodrygo, and Michael Olise in a massive January transfer reshuffle.
Okay, so Liverpool might be looking at replacements for Mo Salah. Are these the top three options?
The transfer window is opening soon, and Liverpool might need to move fast to get their targets.
Missing out on Marc Guehi hurt after Giovanni Leoni got injured. They've talked to the Crystal Palace guy, and it looks like Liverpool is still his most likely destination.
Is Salah leaving Liverpool soon? Semenyo isn't the only winger linked to Liverpool as they plan for a future without him.
After a heated argument with the press following Liverpool's 3-3 draw against Leeds United, the Egyptian was back in the manager's good graces. Saudi Pro League teams are super interested, and it wouldn't be shocking if he ended his career there at 33.
Liverpool's recruitment team is getting ready for life after Salah. But is Semenyo the obvious choice? It all depends on how much money they can get for Salah. The manager wants him to stay, but the veteran winger probably doesn't want to spend the rest of the season on the bench. The team's results have improved in his absence, not because he was dropped, but because of a change in formation that has made them stronger.
The top three Liverpool targets to replace Mo Salah
Yan Diomande is getting a lot of attention in Europe. The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger has had a quick rise, playing in three different countries early in his career.
An £87m release clause seems like a lot until you think he could play for Liverpool for 10 years and still be in his 20s. The recruitment team might be tempted to spend big now so they don't have to later.
After a surprisingly long goal drought, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is back in form. There's talk of him leaving.
The 25-year-old Brazilian wants to play regularly to be ready for the World Cup. He's been linked to Liverpool before, and he seems like a good fit on the right wing. Reports say he could cost as little as £75m. It wouldn't be surprising if Liverpool got that kind of money for Salah from Saudi Arabia.
Another option is Michael Olise from Bayern Munich. It would cost around the same amount they spent on Florian Wirtz to get him. The former Crystal Palace player has also been linked to Liverpool and is scoring or assisting often, like Salah.
Any of these three players could step into Salah's shoes, making this January transfer window really interesting.
FINANCIAL EXPERTS PREDICT £120M HIT IF LIVERPOOL MISS 2026-27 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOT
Liverpool face a £120m disaster: Read about the Champions League race, Arne Slot’s anger, and the impact of the £400m summer spend.
Liverpool’s in a tight spot right now. After losing to Wolves at Molineux, they’re clinging to fifth place, usually good enough for a Champions League spot, but the cushion isn’t exactly comfortable. They’re just three points ahead of Chelsea, who still have a game in hand against Aston Villa. That race is heating up fast.
Virgil van Dijk summed it up pretty well: “Either we get it, and we deserve it, or we don’t get it, and we don’t deserve it. If you play for Liverpool, it’s always been like this. It’s down to us, together with our fans, to get the results we need to get into the Champions League.” He also mentioned that Arne Slot, the head coach, wasn’t exactly thrilled after the loss; “angry” was the word he used.
But it’s not just about pride or missing out on big European nights. There’s a lot of money on the line. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire pointed out that missing out on the Champions League could leave a big dent in Liverpool’s bank account, even if the club runs pretty sensibly these days.
UEFA’s numbers tell the story. Liverpool earned €98.1 million (£85.3 million/$114 million) just for reaching the last 16 of the 2024–25 Champions League. Compare that to the Europa League, where they only received €26.8 million (£23.3 million/$31.1 million) for reaching the quarterfinals last season. The gap is massive.
Even winning the lesser European trophies doesn’t come close. Tottenham got €41.4 million (£36 million/$48.1 million) for winning the Europa League, and Chelsea picked up €21.8 million (£20 million/$26.7 million) for the Conference League. It’s nowhere near what Champions League teams bring home.
Maguire also pointed out the other hits: fewer home match days, less broadcast cash, and sponsors that pay out less when the club misses the top tier. He reckons missing out could cost Liverpool around £120 million ($160 million). Still, he doesn’t think it’ll sink the club.
And it’s not like Liverpool have been shy about spending. Last summer alone, they shelled out more than £400 million ($534.5 million) on big names like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak – the biggest single-window spend in football history, actually.
Even with all that, Liverpool just reported record revenues of £703 million ($939 million) for the year ending May 2025, turning a modest £8 million ($10.7 million) profit. And here’s the kicker: despite that wild summer, Liverpool ranks only eighth in net transfer spend over the past five years. They’ve been splashing the cash, sure, but they’ve kept things balanced in the long run.
WHAT’S MISSING? WHY 16 GOALS AND 6 ASSISTS AREN'T ENOUGH FOR HUGO EKITIKE
Liverpool's top scorer Hugo Ekitike reflects on a massive win at Anfield and explains why he’s still hungry for more goals.
Hugo Ekitike isn’t exactly thrilled with his goal tally for Liverpool this season, even though he’s still leading the pack as the club’s top scorer.
He got his 16th goal of the season on Saturday, kicking things off in Liverpool’s 5-2 win over West Ham at Anfield. Not bad for his debut year. Plus, the 23-year-old, who came over from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer for up to £79 million, set up two more goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. That puts him at 22 goal involvements so far.
Still, Ekitike thinks he’s got a lot more to give. He missed solid chances against Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, and Manchester City recently, and that’s still bugging him.
“To be honest, I could score more,” he said. “I’m not that happy! But it’s not just about goals; it’s assists too. On Saturday, I set up one or two. As long as I’m helping the team and being involved, that’s what really matters. I want to win, so in that way, I’m happy.
“Obviously, I can improve. I could’ve scored in those last games; I had some good chances. So I’ll keep working. I want to be the best I can for the team, because I know I can do more.
“It’s all about learning and getting better. I’ll try to step it up in the next games, score more, and get involved even more.”
His goal against West Ham came after Liverpool kept the pressure on from a corner. Four of their goals that day came straight from, or just after, set pieces.
“We had some problems at the start of the season,” Ekitike said about Liverpool’s set-piece struggles. “We’ve all talked about it and worked on it together in training. It’s great to see it paying off now. We deserved it; honestly, we’ve put a lot of work into this.”
Saturday was the first of seven huge games in just over three weeks. Liverpool were up 3-0 at halftime, but West Ham didn’t just roll over; they made Liverpool work for it in the second half, fighting to stay out of the relegation zone.
Talking to liverpoolfc.com, Ekitike said, “Scoring early in games like that helps, for the team and for the fans. You feel more confident. And going in at halftime 3-0 up, that’s always good.
“But they showed it’s not over till it’s over, they fought back, and we let a couple in. When that happens, you have to score more, and we did. We got five.
“We’ve got to keep going, because there’s a long way left in the season. But yeah, I’m really happy. That win mattered.”
Must Read
