Liverpool were expected to be on course for a historic season under Arne Slot and can still go on to do so by lifting the Premier League title but the old age adage of ‘football being a funny game’ has come back to haunt them.
Imagine finishing first in the league phase of the Champions League with 7/8 wins and skipping the play-off round only to end up facing arguably the most in-form team of 2025 alongside Barcelona.
That’s exactly what happened to the Reds when they drew PSG. Luis Enrique has transformed the French giants by placing immense trust on a set of youngsters and making them play an attractive brand of football.
They went head-to-head with Liverpool across the two legs and on overall balance, one will have to hold their hands up and admit that the defending Ligue 1 champions deserved to go through.
Liverpool managed to secure a slender 1-0 win over PSG in Paris despite not really deserving it due to a heroic display of goalkeeping brilliance from Alisson Becker. If not for that performance, Lucho’s side might have already run away with the tie at home but they managed to secure a 1-0 win at Anfield last night and took the game to penalties where they managed to triumph 4-1.
While this was undoubtedly a disappointing result for Liverpool, it is one that they can learn from and improve ahead of next season.
In all fairness, everyone knew that the Reds didn’t have the kind of squad depth one would have hoped for and they will have to use the upcoming transfer window to address the same. Among those, these PSG games showed that maybe it’s time for Liverpool to finally sign a top right-winger for the long-term, irrespective of what happens to Mohamed Salah.
One thing that Liverpool fans would feel bad about is that when it mattered the most, their talisman Mohamed Salah went missing across the two legs against an opponent 10 years younger than him.
Nuno Mendes (22) the opposition left-back, had the Egyptian (32) on strings for the two games put together and it showed that as good as he has been, he is no longer in his prime, and maybe it’s time for the Reds to have another option who could provide some variety.
[Here are some stats](https://x.com/Squawka/status/1899599240197800207) from Nuno Mendes’ performance across the two legs that showed just how much he tied Salah up. The Portuguese youngster won 21 out of his 26 duels, completed 12 tackles, won possession back 12 times, made 10 clearances and 3 interceptions, completed 5 out of the 6 take-ons that he completed, made two blocks, one last-ditch tackle and conceded just one foul against a tricky customer like Salah.
The African is in the final few months of his Anfield contract. Even though Liverpool fans would love for him to extend his stay, the club might start to look at potential reinforcements who can take over from Salah when the time comes. It has been way too long now that the Reds have depended on the veteran winger without having anyone else to provide cover in that position.
Of course, there is Harvey Elliott who came on against PSG in the first leg to replace Salah and scored the match-winner but he is not a natural pacy right winger. The Reds need someone with more experience and the transfer market will definitely throw potential opportunities.
It doesn’t matter who Liverpool sign for the right wing as it will be very difficult to fully replace the impact Mohamed Salah has had at Anfield.
However, the Reds need to be willing to spend to bring a player who has the capability to get very close and is ready to handle the pressure that comes with the position. At this point, [it is worth noting](https://www.caughtoffside.com/2025/03/11/exclusive-man-united-liverpool-arsenal-winger/) that the Merseyside club are being linked with a transfer for Barcelona superstar, Raphinha.
However, the Brazilian superstar is touted as a potential Ballon d’Or winner and has no reason to leave Barcelona where he is finally cementing a legacy of his own. Moreover, he will turn 29 this year.
Thus, Liverpool might have to look at other options and they could potentially look at Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo (23). The Japanese winger has the ability to replicate the same kind of playstyle that Salah showcased and would be an attainable addition.
Ultimately, this is a big decision for Liverpool and Michael Edwards and they need to get this one right. When Salah doesn’t step up, Liverpool look toothless in attack and if they want to avoid setbacks like the PSG tie, they need to make sure they don’t find themselves in a similar position going forward.