Liverpool need to replace Mohamed Salah. Who could fill the void?

Liverpool always knew the day would come, yet the speed with which it has arrived has still caught Anfield off-guard. Mohamed Salah’s new contract last April was meant to postpone the succession conversation; instead, a sharp dip in form has accelerated it. The numbers that once felt untouchable—255 goals, 119 assists in 435 games—now sit as a benchmark the club must replicate, not merely remember.

The brief handed to the recruitment team is exacting. Salah’s heir must beat full-backs in isolation, must possess genuine pace, must press with relentless intensity and must still be 25 or younger when the ink dries. With Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz already earmarked as the next attacking cycle, the incoming winger will not be asked to carry the scoring load alone, yet the drop-off in wide threat is stark enough that one replacement may not suffice. Rio Ngumoha is expected to step up, but Liverpool entered the summer needing another senior winger even before Salah’s exit became likely. Two may now be required.

Head coach Arne Slot’s own future adds another layer of urgency. The Dutchman’s tactical blueprint—potentially Wirtz operating behind a central pair, as trialled against Galatasaray—needs pace on the outside to stretch defences. Last weekend’s evidence suggests the current squad cannot provide it.

Below, The Athletic examines five candidates who fit the age, profile and financial parameters.

Michael Olise The ideal, if improbable, solution. Only six months into a move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, the 24-year-old left-footed right-winger leads Europe’s top-five leagues with 17 assists. His ability to glide past defenders at top speed and finish clinically off his left recalls Salah at peak powers. Bayern have given no indication they would sell, yet Olise’s output—at least one goal or assist per game in Germany—makes him the archetype Liverpool are chasing.

Yan Diomande Still raw at 19, the Ivorian has already forced defenders into 150-plus take-ons for RB Leipzig this season, a figure bettered only by Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal. A top speed of 36.3 km/h places him inside the Bundesliga’s top three, while 10 goals and six assists mark steady progress. Leipzig will demand a premium, and questions remain over how a right-footed right-winger dovetails with Jeremie Frimpong’s overlapping runs, yet Diomande’s ceiling is undeniable.

Rayan Bournemouth’s Brazilian teenager moved to England after a 14-goal season in Brazil’s Serie A and, at 6ft 2in, offers aerial dominance rare among modern wingers. Predominantly right-sided, he drives inside on his stronger left foot, combining pace and power. A €100 million release clause is the obstacle, but Liverpool’s strong relationship with the south-coast club—sporting director Richard Hughes previously worked there and Milos Kerkez arrived last summer—could facilitate negotiations.

Serhiy Fofana Injury restricted the 20-year-old to 19 appearances this term, yet Lyon’s left-winger managed 11 goals and six assists in 2024-25. Comfortable on either flank and effective in one-v-one situations, Fofana would arrive at a fraction of the cost commanded by Premier League-proven names. The risk is medical rather than technical.

Yaser Minteh Slot knows the 21-year-old better than most after coaching him at Feyenoord, where Minteh delivered 10 goals and five assists en route to KNVB Cup glory. Since joining Brighton for £30 million he has shown flashes—most notably terrorising Liverpool’s own back line last weekend—but two goals and four assists in 27 league games illustrate the gap between promise and production. His 12 goal involvements across the past two seasons remain the most of any under-21 winger in the Premier League, and Slot believes he can refine the defensive side of the game.

Liverpool’s final league position, and whether Champions League revenue arrives, will shape how aggressively they pursue these targets. What is already certain is that the post-Salah era has begun, and the next man—or men—through the door must hit the ground running.