If Mohamed Salah's time as a Red is drawing to a close, Liverpool will be on the lookout for a long-term replacement - but with left-footed wingers a scarcity in the market, the club's transfer department may have to consider different alternatives
17:21, 10 Feb 2026
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre
Three possible transfer replacements for Mohamed Salah in the transfer market(Image: Getty)
Reports that Mohamed Salah has already begun contract talks with Al-Ittihad will not have been well received at Anfield, although they may not have come as a complete surprise.
There is a growing sense around Liverpool that the iconic Egyptian winger will move elsewhere this summer, ending his eight-year stint on Merseyside. That represents a problem and an opportunity for the Reds.
Salah’s form has plummeted over the last year, from the dizzy, record-breaking heights of the first two-thirds of the 2024-25 season. In recent games, he has looked slow and lacking in physicality, while his usually impeccable touch has too often allowed opposition defenders to nick the ball.
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Given his extravagant weekly salary, allowing Salah to depart clearly offers some advantages. His comments in the Elland Road mixed zone have also not been forgotten - Salah is unlikely to transition quietly from star man to squad player like Andy Robertson.
Meanwhile, questions remain over how Salah affects the alchemy and functionality of Liverpool’s team. He doesn’t excessively contribute defensively and is no longer providing decisive moments at the other end of the field.
As for interest from the Saudi Pro League, that is hardly a revelation. Officials from the division overtly acknowledged their desire to sign Salah amid the fallout from his interview at Leeds.
But if a parting of the way is imminent, then, as is Liverpool’s way in the transfer market, replacements will have already been lined up.
Mohamed Salah celebrates at Anfield
Salah's future at Liverpool remains uncertain(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers is certainly one of the names being monitored by Anfield officials. The England international has enjoyed another impressive season in the Midlands and would enhance the Reds’ offensive options.
His cost may prove a stumbling block, however, while he may be reluctant to swap Villa Park for Anfield if Liverpool misses out on a Champions League place. Rogers is also not a traditional winger like Salah.
Bradley Barcola is, however. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker was considered last summer by Liverpool, but Rio Ngumoha’s progression into the first team prevented that admiration from developing into a serious transfer approach.
Yan Diomande has also been linked with Liverpool in recent months, and he certainly ticks many of the boxes the Reds look for in prospective signings.
Yan Diomande has been linked with a move to Liverpool
Yan Diomande has been linked with a move to Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
That he is already starring in the Bundesliga at 19 will certainly pique the club’s interest, while RB Leipzig, his current employers, has a proven track record of allowing its top talents to move on, as evidenced by Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Jurgen Klopp’s presence at Red Bull headquarters will certainly not harm Liverpool’s chances, either. The only problem with moves for Rogers, Barcola or Doimande is that none of the trio is naturally left-footed, like Salah.
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Indeed, there are a shortage of young left-footed wingers who match Liverpool’s transfer criteria. Michael Olise and Franco Mastantuono would surely prove too expensive. Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke are unlikely to move from a Premier League rival.
Maghnes Akliouche or Yankuba Minteh may offer more long-term projects, but certainly, the prospect of either replacing Mohamed Salah’s output seems unlikely.
It means Liverpool will be on the lookout as the summer approaches, as it perhaps begins to consider what life after Salah looks like.