Liverpool’s dream attack next season with Salah and Gakpo replacements | Football | Sport
Mohamed Salah will wave goodbye to Anfield at the end of the campaign (Image: Getty Images)
Ladies and gentlemen, Mohamed Salah is on his way out. Not quite yet – but the man Liverpool supporters dub The King of the Kop is nearing his final bow and much like Elvis Presley before him, his influence has been so monumental, so era-defining, that it’s difficult to envision the stage without him.
It wasn’t entirely unexpected, given Salah’s poor form and rumours of backstage dissatisfaction marring his season. But on Tuesday evening the shock news finally landed: it’s time for Mo to depart.
“Unfortunately, the day has come… I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season,” Salah announced in a heartfelt video posted on social media. “Leaving is never easy… you gave me the best time of my life… thank you for everything.”
Whilst tributes to Salah will undoubtedly dominate Anfield in the coming weeks, focus will inevitably start shifting towards an intriguing question: who, if anyone, can step into the Egyptian’s colossal boots?
Here’s a look at what Liverpool’s dream front three could look like next season with Salah out of the picture…
Dream Salah replacement
Liverpool have been considering life after Mo Salah, with uncertainty surrounding the forward for much of his final years on Merseyside. Long-term targets such as Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen and Nico Williams remain within reach, but none of them seem like natural successors.
Arguably, there’s only one man whose arrival would feel worthy of Salah’s legacy, impact and consistent goal threat, and that’s Michael Olise. The Bayern Munich forward is currently in the form of his life, scoring 16 goals and, astonishingly, providing 27 assists this season.
Like Salah, Olise is a left-footed right winger who excels when cutting in from the wing and is most dangerous when drifting into that same half-space the Egyptian has made his own at Anfield. In stylistic terms, the fit seems almost perfect. However, in practical terms, it is far from it.
Merely enticing Olise away from Bavaria would be a significant challenge, and persuading Bayern to part with one of their prized assets would almost certainly require a record-breaking fee.
With Liverpool still experiencing the repercussions of high-cost transfers for Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz not fully delivering in the Premier League, there may be understandable caution about taking such a big risk for a third time in quick succession.
That said, Olise has previous experience in the Premier League, with three strong seasons at Crystal Palace before his 2024 move to Bayern – and may ultimately prove worth the gamble.
Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise would be the ideal choice to succeed Salah (Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Dream front three
With Olise positioned on the right, Liverpool could boast one of the most formidable front threes in world football. The Frenchman, who has formed a dynamic partnership with Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena, would slot in alongside Alexander Isak, who’d be assigned the striker role.
Isak has found it tough since trading Tyneside for Merseyside last summer, scoring just three goals in 16 matches before a broken leg sidelined him for months. However, upon his return, Liverpool will be banking on a resurgence – a rekindling of the ruthless, prolific force he was at Newcastle – with Olise’s creativity and supply potentially serving as the catalyst.
On the left flank, Anthony Gordon would complete the line-up – the lifelong Liverpool supporter who nearly signed for the Reds in 2024. Relations with Newcastle may have soured following the Isak saga, but Gordon’s own wish to return to Merseyside could yet tip the balance in any deal.
The England international would bring two crucial attributes to Arne Slot‘s team: a genuine direct-running threat from the left, and a player with a personal bond to the club – someone who comprehends precisely what it means to don the shirt.
With numerous forwards already at the club, Gordon’s arrival would probably mark the conclusion for Cody Gakpo and could potentially hinder the progress of Rio Ngumoha.
However, it would also provide Liverpool with something they haven’t possessed since Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were gradually replaced: a genuinely balanced, versatile attacking line – speed, skill and penetration on both wings, with a central striker capable of converting opportunities.
And in a post-Salah era, that might be the nearest thing to replacing the irreplaceable.
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