Liverpool identify 20-year-old attacker as potential Mohamed Salah successor: Reports
Liverpool have reportedly earmarked Lyon attacker Bradley Barcola as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, who is in his thirties now.
Barcola, 20, has emerged as a standout performer for Les Gones over the last one campaign due to his fine performances on both the flanks. He scored seven goals and provided 10 assists in just 1788 minutes of action last time around, starting 20 of his 31 games in the process.
According to Football Transfers, Liverpool have been keeping an eye on the right-footed wide operator for a while. They are of the opinion that the Frenchman can act as a replacement for Salah in the future.
However, it is still unclear whether the Reds will launch a move to snap up Barcola this summer itself or during a subsequent transfer window.
According to Transfermarkt, Barcola is valued at over £15 million. But, his price tag could be on the higher side in light of his deal until 2026.
Meanwhile, Salah is expected to retain his starting berth on the Reds' right flank in the 2023-24 season. He would be aiming to guide them to a top-four spot in the Premier League after their fifth-placed finish last season.
Since arriving in a deal worth up to £36 million in 2017 from AS Roma, the Egyptian inside forward has been a revelation for Liverpool. He has helped them lift seven trophies so far, including the Premier League in 2020.
Salah was initially introduced to the Premier League by Chelsea but the Blues failed to get the best out of the young wing-forward back then. He was sold to AS Roma and subsequently returned to England as a Red.
So far, the 31-year-old left-footed star has scored 186 goals and laid out 79 assists in 305 overall matches for Jurgen Klopp's side. He is currently averaging a goal or an assist every 95 minutes of action.
Apart from Salah, the Reds currently have Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez as their first-team forwards. They also have academy products Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon as two backup stars.
Liverpool star Mo Salah could miss multiple matches due to international commitments
Mohamed Salah could miss up to 10 matches for Liverpool in the 2023-24 season as Egypt have qualified for the African Cup of Nations 2024.
If Egypt advance to the knockout stages of the continental tournament, the forward will miss Liverpool's Premier League trips to Bournemouth and Arsenal, and home ties against Chelsea and Burnley next year. He is also likely to be absent for his side's FA Cup third round fixture.
The remaining five fixtures that the player could miss depend upon the Merseyside side's results in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. He might be absent for two potential EFL Cup semi-final legs and FA Cup replays.