Liverpool identify Barcelona star as potential Mohamed Salah replacement: Reports
Liverpool are reportedly looking to replace Mohamed Salah with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele as speculation over the Egyptian's future at Anfield continues.
Salah is out of contract with the Reds next year. He declined a contract offer from the Premier League giants in December last year.
Salah and Liverpool are both eager to sign a new contract, but the club are yet to accede to the player's demands.
Fichajes (via The Hard Tackle) reports that the Reds will turn to Dembele if Salah does not sign a new deal.
The Barcelona winger has endured an injury-ridden stint at Camp Nou since joining from Borussia Dortmund for £126 million in 2017. He was regarded as one of Europe's top talents during his time in the Bundesliga but has found fitness issues problematic during his La Liga stint.
Jurgen Klopp is likely to be interested in signing Dembele, who is only 24 years old and could flourish if his injury problems are addressed. However, the Frenchman is not the lone candidate on the list of potential Salah replacements.
Liverpool are also interested in PSG's Angel Di Maria, who knows the Premier League from his time at Manchester United.
Marco Asensio is another potential candidate as he continues to be linked with a move away from Real Madrid.
Serge Gnabry has also been linked with a move to Anfield. His contract with Bayern Munich expires in 2023, and he is reportedly interested in a Premier League return.
John Barnes: "Ousmane Dembele would be a fantastic signing as long as his fitness holds up. I don’t know the state of his fitness, but his profile would suit Liverpool. He’s fast, he’s direct, he’s skilful and aggressive with the ball." #awlive [bonus code bets] https://t.co/e6F8c6glge
Can Liverpool replace Mohamed Salah?
No matter who Liverpool sign if Mohamed Salah were to leave, there is likely no chance they will replicate the 29-year-old's achievements during his time at Anfield.
The forward has so far scored 153 goals and provided 57 assists in 238 appearances for the club in all competitions. He has 20 goals in the Premier League so far this season, leading the way in the top scorer ranks.
Salah has also broken a huge number of records, including the most goals scored in a Premier League season, having netted 32 goals in the 2017-2018 campaign. In that same season, he scored in 24 of 38 EPL games, which means he holds the record for the most games scored in by a player.
The Egypt international is also the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick against Manchester United. He tore the Red Devils apart earlier this season in a 5-0 win at Old Trafford.
Arsene Wenger on Mo Salah:
“£400,000-a-week? Look, every situation is different and separate. You have to look at the medical record of the player. Never misses a game. You would do it.” #awlive [bein sports] https://t.co/FFlGETQoeE
Salah has clicked tremendously well with the Reds' attackers. His partnership with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino has been hugely impactful over the years.
He has matured into a goalscoring machine who scares any defender with his burst of pace and elegance on the ball.
It is clear Salah's contributions to Jurgen Klopp's team are extremely important. Liverpool will be losing one of the Premier League's greatest-ever players should he leave.