It was inevitable that Liverpool were going to have to replace Mohamed Salah, but after the 33-year-old signed a two-year contract last April, that moment has arrived quicker than anticipated.
Replacing a top player is one thing, but replacing a record-breaking club icon, with 255 goals and 119 assists in 435 matches, is a different story, even if Salah has suffered a considerable drop-off this season.
Liverpool are still adjusting to life with expensive additions such as Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, who are all expected to play key roles for the club in the next five years. Ideally, the first two will take on the goalscoring responsibilities and the latter will provide the creativity. That reshaping will have to continue.
When it comes to finding Salah’s successor, two characteristics will surely be at the forefront of Liverpool’s minds: an ability to win one-on-one battles with their opposition defender consistently, and pace. Versatility and the right age profile (25 or under) will also be important, as will be the ability to perform high-intensity pressing and be aggressive out of possession.
Other factors must be considered, too, including the precarious position of head coach Arne Slot and his tactical vision (could Wirtz in behind two central attackers be the blueprint, as it was against Galatasaray?).
Liverpool entered the current season with only two senior wingers Slot was prepared to start, and it has backfired. Rio Ngumoha will continue to become a more prominent option next season, but Liverpool needed another winger this summer even if Salah had stayed, so the Egyptian’s departure would likely mean they need two. Where Liverpool finish in the league may also dictate targets and budgets, especially if they are unable to qualify for the Champions League.
With all that in mind, The Athletic assesses five options that Liverpool should be considering.
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Rayan is up and running in the @premierleague pic.twitter.com/FV7USE9Ltm
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) February 7, 2026
Throw in his strength and aerial ability — he is 6ft 2in (188cm) — and Rayan has the attributes to cut it at the highest level. There is versatility to his profile that could dovetail beautifully with Liverpool’s current front line, and Liverpool have good connections with Bournemouth, with their sporting director Richard Hughes having worked there previously and Milos Kerkez joining from the south-coast club last summer.
The sticking point is the widely reported €100million (£86m) release clause that Bournemouth inserted in the teenager’s contract. With the trajectory he is on, you can understand why.
Malick Fofana (Lyon)
There was plenty of Premier League interest in Fofana last summer as both Chelsea and Everton explored the possibility of signing him.
The 20-year-old ended up staying put at Lyon, the team he joined in January 2024 from Belgian side Gent for an initial €17m, but an injury-hit season prevented him from building on his breakout season in 2024-25.
He made his return to action in Lyon’s 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in the Europa League last week after suffering a serious ankle injury at the end of October, which required surgery.
Fofana made the left-wing spot his own in France, finishing the campaign with 11 goals and six assists in 41 appearances. He is comfortable using both feet, which would allow him to play on both flanks if required. He excels in one-v-one situations, using his quick feet and rapid acceleration to get past opposition full-backs.
Fofana is unlikely to command the type of fee others in this list would generate: there will be no Premier League premium, for one thing, while his lack of minutes means any signing would be more of a gamble.
Yankuba Minteh (Brighton)
Fresh from tormenting Liverpool in Brighton & Hove Albion’s 2-1 victory last weekend, Minteh is a player Slot knows well.
The pair worked together during the Dutchman’s final season at Feyenoord when the winger was on loan from Newcastle United. He scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 37 appearances as the Dutch side finished second in the Eredivisie and won the KNVB Cup.
Following that loan spell, the 21-year-old moved to Brighton from Newcastle for £30m and has shown plenty of promise. Minteh started the current campaign in excellent form before an injury saw him lose his place in the side until recently.
The left-footed winger is more at home playing on the right, but he showed his versatility when he tormented Frimpong from the left. He is very quick and a threatening progressive ball carrier in possession.
There is still plenty of room for improvement, and for him to be a success at Liverpool, he would need to improve on his record of two goals and four assists in 27 Premier League games this season, following six goals and four assists in 32 matches in 2024-25. When you consider he has the most goal involvements of any player aged under 21 over the last two seasons, though, the upside is clear.
Unsurprisingly for a young winger, his decision-making needs tidying up, as well as his impact out of possession, but if Slot continues as Liverpool manager, he will be well placed to help him improve.