Liverpool eye a move for “extraordinary” Salah replacement

Liverpool are struggling to emulate their success and outstanding performances of last season, with pressure mounting on them to turn things around.

The Reds are currently eighth in the Premier League table after 11 games, tallying up six wins and five defeats already, alongside crashing out of the Carabao Cup to Crystal Palace last month.

Arne Slot will be frustrated with the start that has transpired and, with fixtures coming thick and fast over the festive period, will be under the spotlight to find solutions to their inconsistent and poor performances.

The international break will offer the Dutch manager some respite to re-evaluate the situation following the defeat to Manchester City, and solving their attacking woes would be a good starting point.

Mohamed Salah, in particular, has been a shadow of his former self this season after playing the most impactful role in the Premier League title win last season – scoring 34 goals and registering 23 assists in all competitions.

Currently, the Egyptian winger has only managed to find the back of the net five times over 16 appearances, which has been a huge contributor to Liverpool’s struggles ahead of his AFCON commitments in January.

The 33-year-old penned a two-year extension on his contract to remain a key player at Anfield earlier this year, but there is concern that he could be coming to the end of his awe-inspiring tenure.

Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike were brought in to add attacking threat on Merseyside and boost goal contributions following the departure of Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez, alongside the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.

However, the pair are struggling to convert their chances as much as anyone else, although Ekitike is currently the top scorer at the club with six goals so far.

Despite spending an eye-watering £200m on the striker pairing combined, new reports suggest that Liverpool could look to further strengthen their presence in front of goal.

German journalist Christian Falk has revealed that Liverpool are among the clubs interested in signing Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry.

The 30-year-old is in the last year of his contract with the Bundesliga giants and is attracting interest as a result.

Falk claims in his report that although Bayern are in the process of negotiating an extension for the talented forward, Liverpool and Juventus are among the clubs eyeing a move for Gnabry.

There is no doubt that something needs to change to see more consistency in front of goal for Liverpool, but is another forward signing the answer?

Salah is undoubtedly entering the latter stages of his career, and his current contract is unlikely to be extended beyond its current terms, so planning for a future without their superstar winger would be beneficial.

It was thought that Ekitike and Isak combined could be the answer to the prospect of losing Salah in the next 18 months, and there is no reason why they can’t find their feet to become the solution to converting goal-scoring opportunities.

However, an opportunity to potentially sign Gnabry on a free transfer could be too tempting for the Reds to miss, considering his recent form for Bayern.

Over 15 appearances this season, the Germany international – once hailed “extraordinary” by Julian Nagelsmann – has scored four goals and registered four assists, with a goal contribution every 107 minutes so far.

Gnabry’s eye for goal and experience operating across the forward line, as well as in a second striker role, make him an ideal candidate to add depth to Liverpool’s talented attacking threat.

Though his age is a concern, at 30 years old he does not represent a long-term solution to replacing Salah’s output and, if a deal were explored, would likely come in as a stop-gap or depth option to assist the up-and-coming prospects the club already possess.

As a result, a move for Gnabry will definitely be one to watch for Liverpool fans, but is unlikely to transpire unless it is on a free transfer next summer.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.