Liverpool could replace Mohamed Salah without paying a penny as ‘internal talks held’ | Football | Sport

It’s once again another summer where there are more questions than answers for Liverpool. Two years ago, it was how the Reds would react after losing legendary manager Jurgen Klopp.

Last summer, the tragic loss of Diogo Jota shook the dressing room to its core, while from a transfer point of view, Liverpool splashed out to reinforce their squad. It didn’t work out for them, meaning this year, the question is how new boss Andoni Iraola will shape his Liverpool team following Arne Slot’s departure.

One of the biggest tasks on his to-do list will be finding an adequate replacement for Mohamed Salah, who brought the curtain down on his glittering Liverpool career at the end of the season. There were initial suggestions that Liverpool would spend big, with Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola mooted as potential options, but rumours surrounding the pair seem to have gone cold.

Instead, Liverpool could have a cost-free solution right underneath their nose… Rio Ngumoha. The youngster enjoyed a breakthrough season last time around and has fully established himself as a member of Liverpool’s first-team squad.

His performances even earned him a spot in England’s pre-World Cup training camp, where Ngumoha made his debut in a warm-up game against New Zealand. Big things are expected of the 17-year-old heading into the new campaign, and there have been some suggestions he could have an even bigger role to play.

According to the Liverpool ECHO, the idea of using Ngumoha as a right-sided forward has been floated internally. Ngumoha is naturally right-footed, which he showed to great effect cutting in off the right-hand side last season, so it would require a slight change in style.

But there have been occasions where Ngumoha has featured off the right, while Iraola has previously used right-footed forwards in that position as well. Antoine Semenyo was the prime example, with the Ghana international having flourished under Iraola before moving to Premier League rivals Manchester City.

There’s every chance Iraola gets a proper look at Ngumoha in pre-season and decides he isn’t suited to a right-wing position. But it’s certainly worth trying out, and who knows, it could even save Liverpool the best part of £100m!