Mohamed Salah’s impending departure from Liverpool at the end of the 2025/26 season marks the end of an era for the Reds.
Mohamed Salah, a transformative figure since joining Liverpool from AS Roma nearly nine years ago, is on the cusp of ending his storied stint with the Merseyside club. The ‘Egyptian King’ will leave behind unmatched stats, trophies, and reliability that will be nearly impossible to replicate fully. Nevertheless, The Hard Tackle attempts to identify the ideal candidate to take over from him ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Salah’s legacy at Anfield
Salah has appeared in 435 matches across all competitions for Liverpool, netting 255 goals and laying on 122 assists. His Premier League record stands at 189 goals and 93 assists from 310 games, earning him four Golden Boots in the 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22, and 2024/25 season. Beyond England’s domestic football, he delivered 47 goals in 82 UEFA Champions League outings, proving his clutch factor time and again.
Trophies define his tenure: Premier League titles in 2019/20 and 2024/25, Champions League in 2018/19, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2019, FA Cup in 2021/22, EFL Cups in 2021/22 and 2023/24, plus the 2022/23 Community Shield.
Salah’s availability has set him apart, as he was virtually injury-free for nine years, with only rare recent muscle strains being exceptions. So, he has missed fewer than 5% of possible games. This ironclad fitness, paired with a 0.61 goals-per-game rate in the Premier League, creates a dual challenge: sourcing elite output and durability.
The challenge of replacing Salah
Replacing Salah demands more than goals; he is a holistic attacker blending scoring (251 tallies) with creation (119 assists). In Arne Slot’s high-octane system, Liverpool require a right-sided dynamo who cuts inside left-footed, presses voraciously, and thrives in half-spaces during transitions.
Fitness remains elusive; no prospect matches his near-100% uptime, but versatile wingers with dual-threat profiles can approximate the end product.
Michael Olise: Bayern Munich’s dazzling creator
Michael Olise has flourished at Bayern Munich since his 2024 switch from Crystal Palace. The 24-year-old French international boasts 11 goals and 19 assists in 25 Bundesliga appearances this season, alongside three goals and six assists in nine Champions League games. His repertoire, deceptive dribbles, rapid acceleration, and pinpoint crosses echo that of Salah’s.
Olise slots perfectly as Liverpool’s left-footed right winger, drifting inward to link with Florian Wirtz or Cody Gakpo. With 87% passing accuracy and a vision for killer balls, he would fuel Liverpool’s possession-based press, while his work rate aligns with Anfield’s intensity.
The former Crystal Palace star is a premium investment for consistent creativity and goals. However, Liverpool may not be alone in the race to sign Olise, as widespread reports have linked him with several European bigwigs, including Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: PSG’s Georgian maestro
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia now dazzles at PSG after departing Napoli last year, where he was a pivotal throughout the club’s ups and downs. Meanwhile, in the 2025/26 season thus far, the 25-year-old has fired goals against elite foes like Chelsea, leveraging his low-slung dribbling and elite spatial reads.
Kvaratskhelia mirrors Salah’s completeness for Liverpool with his explosive progressive carries, defence-splitting passes, and dead-ball danger. Deployed on the right, he would torment full-backs, sustaining fluidity through scoring and setup alike. His prime age and flair make him a seamless, long-haul successor in Slot’s attack. However, like Olise, Kvaratskhelia is a target for other high-profile clubs, including Arsenal.
Yan Diomande: RB Leipzig’s dynamic prodigy
Yann Diomande, the 19-year-old Ivorian winger at RB Leipzig, has exploded in 2025/26, scoring 10 goals and assisting seven times in the Bundesliga, earning a 7.62 FotMob rating over 1,878 minutes. Standout metrics include 40 shots on target, 333 tackles won, and blistering 36.3 km/h top speed, prioritising creation (2.7 box passes/90 at 68% accuracy) with smart finishing.
Diomande will thrive as Liverpool’s pressing machine on either flank, recapturing possessions and counter-pressing like prime Salah. His interceptions (2.5/90), 73% duel success, and cut-back precision would nourish Liverpool’s forwards, with defensive nous adding the balance to his game.
Maturing his shot volume could unlock stardom, blending youth with multifaceted impact. However, like the other potential targets, Yan Diomande features on the wishlist of several European heavyweights, including Arsenal, Manchester United, and Barcelona, among others.
Fitting the trio into Liverpool’s future
Michael Olise will arrive as the ready-made heir, his Bayern Munich-honed flair directly supplanting Salah’s role with immediate chemistry in Liverpool’s 4-3-3. Meanwhile, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will bring Georgian magic, rotating rightward to exploit his carries and vision against fatigued defences, much like Salah’s rotations under Klopp. Diomande rounds out the group as high-potential depth, with his RB Leipzig speed and tenacity evolving into a durable rotation option amid injury risks.
No one replicates Salah’s mythical run, but this trio addresses the void holistically: Olise for polish, Kvaratskhelia for explosiveness, Diomande for relentlessness. Arne Slot’s inverted-winger blueprint favours them, promising contention in 2026/27 if integrated boldly if any one of them joins, echoing past triumphs like Sadio Mane post-Luis Suarez.
The Egyptian King’s Anfield farewell stings, but proactive recruitment will position Liverpool to endure. These targets ensure the attack’s pulse will beat on long after Salah has stepped for the final time on the hallowed Merseyside grounds.
