Liverpool eye 20-year-old star as Mohamed Salah replacement next summer - Reports
Liverpool are reportedly eyeing PSV Eindhoven's Johan Bakayoko as a possible replacement for Mohamed Salah next summer.
According to the Express (h/t CaughtOffside), Al-Ittihad were heavily interested in signing the Egyptian superstar but the Reds refused to sell him. The Saudi Pro League clubs could apparently return him for next year and Jurgen Klopp's side will have to start planning for life without him.
Interest from Saudi Arabia aside, Salah will be 32 next summer and will enter the final year of his contract at Anfield. For this reason, they have earmarked Bakayoko as a potential target and they could even make a move for him in January.
The 20-year-old Belgian winger has been at PSV since joining them from RSC Anderlecht in 2019. He has accumulated seven goals and nine assists in 44 senior appearances during that time.
Bakayoko has been particularly impressive in his team's UEFA Champions League qualification matches this term, grabbing four assists in as many games. He is a pacy winger who likes to dribble and cut inside to his stronger left foot, much like Salah.
If the move materializes, Bakayoko will have huge boots to fill. Salah is already the club's fifth all-time top goalscorer (187 goals in 308 games). He has also been their top scorer across competitions in every season since joining them from AS Roma in 2017.
Pundit names two ideal replacements for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah
Former Liverpool player Don Hutchinson has claimed that Mohamed Salah is 'replaceable' by players like Bukayo Saka and Federico Chiesa.
Saka is (21), of course, an integral part of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side and signed a new four-year contract this May. Chiesa, in the meantime, has two years left on his deal with Juventus but the 25-year-old continues to be a huge part of their team.
Chiesa isn't without his injury troubles, however, and missed large parts of last season due to fitness issues. Overall, the Italy international has registered 23 goals and 20 assists in 96 games since joining them on an initial loan deal in October 2020.
Hutchinson told ESPN FC:
"He is replaceable. You buy someone in, like Mo Salah was when he was hitting 15 or 16 goals (at Roma). You find that player who you can mould, if you are Jurgen Klopp. People get carried away and think you have to get out there and find 30 goals."
Hutchinson continued:
"There are players out there you can buy. I have named people like Chiesa. I have named people like Bukayo Saka. There are guys out there, and there are many, many more."
So far, Salah has started in all three of Liverpool's games this season, grabbing a goal and two assists.