Salah, aged 31, remains one of the most powerful wide attackers in global football. While some consider Steven Gerrard as Liverpool’s best ever Premier League player, Salah is quickly making his way into that conversation, having been recently dubbed as such by two observers.
The winger has an impressive record with 196 goals and 83 assists in 318 appearances for Liverpool. However, there are speculations that his tenure at Anfield might conclude in 2024.
During the last transfer window, Salah received significant interest from Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, with a substantial offer of £150 million. Liverpool, however, wasn’t inclined to sell. But the prospect of his departure might not be restricted to just Al-Ittihad next year since, by the end of the season, Salah will have only a year remaining on his contract.
If Liverpool decides to sell at that point, there is talk of finding a replacement. Reports from Germany propose Liverpool might consider Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane as a direct replacement, likely for a fee around £80 million (€92 million). Additionally, there’s speculation about using any proceeds from Salah’s sale to bring in Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, a striker by trade. This would entail a transition for an existing Liverpool player like Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, or Diogo Jota to the right side.
Tony Cascarino, a pundit and ex-Republic of Ireland international, suggested a different solution closer to home in his column for the Times. He believes Liverpool should pursue Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as Salah’s potential replacement.
Cascarino said, “If Mohamed Salah ever leaves Liverpool, the club should go and buy Bryan Mbeumo as his replacement.” He praised Mbeumo’s versatility, durability, and sharpness in counterattacks, highlighting his increased goal output in the Premier League.
Mbeumo, a left-footed player, has performed remarkably well, especially in the absence of Ivan Toney. He and Yoane Wissa have been an effective duo, compensating for the expected goal shortage during Toney’s absence.
Mbeumo’s potential cost to acquire from Brentford remains uncertain, though Transfermarkt suggests a value of around €35 million (approximately £30.58 million).