Premier League leading Liverpool has been told that trying to replace Mohamed Salah with a like-for-like replacement would be near-impossible, and a better course of action would be getting a forward entirely different to the Egyptian King.
The Reds face the bleak prospect of Salah leaving on a free transfer next season when his contract expires, and could be forced into the transfer market to bolster Arne Slot's forward line.
If that happens, former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen believes Liverpool could look at Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane as a potential option.
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Like Salah, Sane is also out of contract in the summer and is a player Liverpool was interested in during Jurgen Klopp's tenure at Anfield. Klopp tried to bring Sane to Liverpool back in 2016, but the German winger ended up choosing to sign for Manchester City.
The now 28-year-old spent four seasons at the Etihad, winning two Premier League titles. His final campaign in England was the season Liverpool lifted the title back in 2020, with Sane missing almost all of City's campaign due to an ACL injury.
He left City the following summer in 2020, joining Bayern, but is now out of contract at the end of the season. On Sunday, it was confirmed Liverpool has made a contract offer to Salah, as well as Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But in the event Salah does not sign a new deal with the Reds, and decides to leave in the summer, Meulensteen reckons the Reds should look to bring in Sane to help bolster Arne Slot's attack. Speaking to OLBG, Meulensteen said: "I think Leroy Sane is a good suggestion to replace Mohamed Salah, but the hardest thing is replacing big names like that.
Leroy Sane
Leroy Sane is out of contract at the end of the season (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
"I remember when Roy Keane left Manchester United, it was said that we needed to get another Roy Keane and you can’t – there is only one Roy Keane.
"It’s the same with Salah, he is unique and there may be players a bit like him, like Jarrod Bowen at West Ham, but it won’t be the same level. I think Liverpool should go for someone completely different to stop the comparison.”
Liverpool.com says: "Since moving to join Bayern Munich, Sane has hardly lit the Bundesliga alight. He has not managed more than eight goals in a Bundesliga season for the German side, and would likely command massive wages due to being a free agent. But while Liverpool should look to tie Mohamed Salah down first, in the event they are unable to, they could certainly take a look at Sane."