Mohamed Salah’s departure will mark the end of an era, not just for Liverpool, but for the Premier League as a whole.
The Egyptian has been one of the faces of the sport, particularly in England, for the better part of a decade.
When Salah leaves this summer, it will mark another globally recognised name leaving the Premier League.
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Liverpool will feel his loss massively, but so too will rival fans — his exit leaves a rather pitiful list of bona fide world-class attackers still plying their trade in England.
The loss of Mo Salah will shed light on the Premier League talent drain
It might sound ridiculous at first to say the quality of talent in the Premier League is on the decline. Clubs in England did spend more than every other major league combined last summer.
Top to bottom, the league has arguably never been stronger, but there’s a credible argument for the quality suffering despite the increase in quantity of high-level arrivals.
Just look at the kind of players who have left in the last few years. Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane, Heung Min Son, Sadio Mane, Eden Hazard. These are stars of the game who dominated at the top level for many years.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino
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The players who have taken their place just don’t hit the same.
The obvious caveat here is that players at the end of the career are going to be regarded more highly than young stars with potential, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that many of the marquee signings that are made in the Premier League now don’t sound like worthy replacements.
The very best talents seem to be leaning more and more towards Europe. Off the top of my head — Michael Olise, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Julian Alvarez, Desire Doue, I could go on.
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Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes watching on during the Reds' Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (Credit: Getty Images/Robin Jones).
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Maybe this is how every generation of fan feels. I remember lamenting the end of the Barclays era ten years ago.
But with Salah gone, you have to ask, who are the superstar attackers in the Premier League — the players who don’t look out of place in conversations about the best in their position? Defenders and midfielders are crucial in the game of football, but it’s those operating in the final third who get fans in seats.
Outside of Liverpool’s new attacking trio, who we will need to see more from, you’d be looking at Erling Haaland and… then it gets tricky.
Sure, players like Joao Pedro, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes are elite or elite-adjacent, but they don’t sniff conversations for best in their position in Europe.
That’s pretty damning evidence that the quality of the Premier League is declining at the very top.
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