Liverpool will soon have no choice but to address the Mohamed Salah rumor. In light of this summer’s events, it’s clear that Saudi Arabia is eager to sign the aging Egyptian and use him as a big focal point in their new league.
His current deal is set to expire in two years, so next summer may be a good opportunity to sell. Salah will be 32 years old by then, and he hopes to have smashed even more records at Liverpool before he finally departs Anfield for greener pastures.
It will be difficult to find a suitable replacement for him. But the money Liverpool might get from Saudi Arabia for his services would give them more than enough money to achieve it.
The fact is that Liverpool won’t be able to find a direct successor. There aren’t many players in global football who can compare to the Egyptian, and the ones who can aren’t cheap. Signing the “next Salah” will be almost impossible.
If Liverpool decides to trade Salah next summer, they may still have a successful offseason despite the loss of their star player. Using the Moneyball strategy to find a group of players capable of replacing Salah may work out well.
Liverpool will not only be able to replace his production, but also improve their depth by bringing in many other players who, when combined, can produce at a similar level.
A guy who is following in the footsteps of both Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai might be one of the players brought in to attempt to fill the vacuum at Liverpool next summer.
This summer, RB Leipzig acquired Xavi Simons, who, like Gravenberch, is considered one of the most intriguing young talents in the Netherlands. The German club made the deal to replace Szoboszlai, who left for Anfield.
So far Simons has been a pleasant surprise. He now plays on the right flank and has had a fantastic start to the season.
Simons has tallied two goals and three assists in three games in the Bundesliga. He has scored or assisted on one goal in every 46 minutes for the club, which is remarkable given that he has only played 230 minutes thus far.
It’s still early, but the 20-year-old has had a strong start. He came up through the junior systems at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain before being noticed by PSV Eindhoven, where he contributed to 34 goals in 48 appearances last season.
His move to the right flank for Leipzig is intriguing from Liverpool’s standpoint since he mostly played on the left side for PSV.
Salah is left-footed but plays on the right for Liverpool because Jürgen Klopp prefers wingers who can cut in on their ‘better’ foot. Although Simons has only scored twice this season with his right foot, he seems to be equally at home with either foot.
Having a player who can play both in the center and on the left would offer Klopp a lot of tactical options, and given Liverpool’s history of dealings with Leipzig, a transfer may not face many roadblocks.
Because of this, he may be a great fit and a player the club’s scouts should keep an eye on for the future.
