Mohamed Salah is deemed irreplaceable at Liverpool but at some point the club is going to have to find his successor .
The Egyptian has entered the final 12 months of his current deal at Anfield and is yet to agree to fresh terms with the Reds, meaning an exit on a free transfer remains likely as things stand. Those fears were only realized further when the 32-year-old directly said after the win over Manchester United that this is his final year at Liverpool .
He also said that last Sunday's 3-0 success was his last trip to Old Trafford for the Reds as things stand and, while recent rumors claim talks might already be underway between Salah and Liverpool, the harsh reality over his future remains.
With this in mind, Liverpool.com has taken a look at five players who could be used to replace the Egyptian in Liverpool's attack from next season onwards, ranging from household names to relative unknowns.
Federico Chiesa
It's only fair to start with the one player signed by Liverpool this summer when discussing Salah's potential replacements - Italian winger Federico Chiesa . The Italy international was signed from Juventus for a modest fee of just $13million (£10m/€12m) plus $3.3m (£2.5m/€3m) in add-ons last week but could be the man to step up.
While Chiesa is not expected to replace Salah in the starting lineup this season, his quality was still enough to be considered a viable challenger to the Egyptian and an adequate replacement whenever called upon. 10 goals in his final campaign for Juventus is something to build on, at least.
The four-year contract handed to him by Liverpool also shows faith in his long-term ability, while still being only 26-years-old provides him with a major springboard in which to become Salah's long-term successor - especially if he can rediscover the Euro 2020 form that propelled him to the top of European football.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Perhaps the most inevitable name set to be floated around as Salah's replacement, Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could finally turn up at Liverpool next summer should the Egyptian leave - but he'll cost a fortune.
The Georgia international was once again linked with a move to Anfield this summer amid doubts over his long-term future in Naples, with his agent publicly declaring the player was looking to leave the Serie A club, especially after its woeful title defense last season.
Kvaratskhelia has since remained with Napoli, of course, but the 23-year-old would certainly be the preferred choice to replace Salah for many Reds fans, especially following a return of 25 goals and 26 assists across his first two campaigns for the Italian giants.
Johan Bakayoko
PSV Eindhoven forward Johan Bakayoko was another name who was linked with Liverpool this summer and it's certainly realistic to think he could arrive at Anfield next summer, especially given the Reds have reportedly monitored him since March 2023.
Slot is claimed to have "validated" the forward and he would likely cost less than $56m (£42m/€50m). More importantly, however, the 21-year-old has a keen eye for goal.
Last season, Bakayoko grabbed 14 goals and 14 assists for PSV in all competitions and has already grabbed another three goal involvements in just four games in the current campaign. Unlike Chiesa and Kvaratshkelia, Bakayoko is also left-footed, meaning he prefers to cut in onto his stronger foot just like Salah.
Jarrod Bowen
West Ham captain and England international Jarrod Bowen could also be a potential replacement to Salah given his links to Liverpool in previous years. Still only 27, he also has plenty to offer as he enters his peak years on the field.
Former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was a big admirer of Bowen and could have launched an all-out attack for his signature had he remained in charge, yet it wasn't to be. However, it's thought Liverpool would have to fork out an eye-watering fee to try and prize him away from east London.
But it would almost certainly be worth it, given Bowen's career-best season in 2023-24 in which he provided 20 goals and 10 assists - and that was in an average West Ham side. The former Hull City man also favors cutting in on his left foot, allowing him to slot straight into Salah's position on the right-wing.
Baris Alper Yilmaz
Galatasaray winger Baris Alper Yilmaz was a fresh name to be linked with Liverpool this summer following his impressive Euro 2024 campaign with Turkey, helping his nation to reach the quarter-finals in Germany despite not scoring a goal.
But it followed up a campaign in which he netted six times and provided a further seven assists to help Galatasaray lift the Turkish Super Lig title with a whopping 102 points. In 2024-25, he already has two goals from the first three league games.
While he is yet to test himself in Europe's top leagues, it was reported in July that Liverpool made an offer of $33m (£25m/€30m) for the 24-year-old. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but the Reds could certainly return for an offer next summer if Yilmaz has yet another impressive campaign.
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