"Klopp loves those kinds of players" - Tony Cascarino says 25-year-old would tick all the boxes to be Liverpool's Mohamed Salah replacement
Former player Tony Cascarino believes West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen would be a good fit at Liverpool if they lose Mohamed Salah.
Salah's contract situation is well-documented, with the club and player yet to reach a middle ground. The Egyptian, whose current deal runs till 2023, is reportedly asking for a massive pay rise, but the Reds aren't keen on changing their wage structure.
Mo finishes third in #TheBest FIFA Menβs Player award.
A brilliant year, @mosalah π
If the situation doesn't improve, Salah could leave the club in the upcoming summer transfer window or on a Bosman move in 2023. Cascarino, who was a boyhood Liverpool fan, believes Bowen would be an ideal replacement for the forward. Speaking to talkSPORT (via Team Talk) in this regard, he said:
βI actually thought, if we lost Mo Salah, who could we logically go after? Well, the lad Bowen at West Ham ticks all those boxes. Heβs tenacious; he chases everything, and is decent technically, but not extraordinary.β
Cascarino also believes the Hammers forward would be the kind of player Jurgen Klopp would love to manage, adding:
βI keep thinking who would fit into that Liverpool frontline because Klopp loves those kinds of players in wide areas, who will chase and hassle players. He does all the ugly things for his team, and will always get chances. Klopp seems to love players that are really tenacious, who will never give up and will chase.β
Cascarino concluded:
βThey donβt have to be technically absolutely brilliant, because Maneβs not; theyβre good, but theyβre not technical geniuses like when you look at Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. Theyβre not like that, but theyβre all tenacious; he really loves that.β
Liverpool have continued to pick up wins in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane's absence
Many expected the Merseyside-based outfit to go on a slide when Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane departed for the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this month. However, Liverpool have done a fairly decent job without the star duo.
The Reds picked up a 4-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town in their first game without Salah and Mane to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup. They then drew with Arsenal 0-0 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Anfield.
It was a performance that brought them plenty of criticism, but they bounced back strongly from that reverse.
#CRYLIV #WalkOn
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Let's do this, Reds β #CRYLIV #WalkOn https://t.co/plHNKuctTh
Liverpool thrashed Brentford 3-0 in their next game before beating the Gunners 2-0 in the second leg to reach the summit clash of the Carabao Cup. They will face Crystal Palace next in the Premier League later today (23 January).
A win will take the Reds to within nine points of Manchester City in first place, and with a game in hand.