There is an obvious replacement for Mohamed Salah, who Liverpool are already keeping a close eye on.
It’s not something we would want to see at Liverpool any time soon. Mohamed Salah is still going strong, and probably enjoying one of his best ever individual seasons at the club.
However, sooner or later, Liverpool will have to move Salah on. The Egyptian is not getting any younger, and even though he has defied the ravages of time, eventually age will catch up to him.
Hopefully, that will only be in a couple of years. He will still only turn 32-years-old later this summer, which means he could have a few more years left at elite level.
But before that time comes, Liverpool needs to be proactive and already be actively searching for his replacement. Undoubtedly, after finding Jurgen Klopp’s successor, that may be Michael Edwards’ most difficult task since coming back to FSG.
Replacing someone of the ilk of Mohamed Salah seems just as impossible as replacing Klopp. However, there might be someone who could be up to the task. Someone who is already on Liverpool’s transfer radar.
What Michael Edwards will be looking for in Mohamed Salah replacement
To replace Salah, Liverpool will first and foremost needed a dynamic left-footed player who is capable of playing on the right-wing. This player also needs to be relatively fast, and with a good goal contribution output.
There will be other key metrics that Edwards will take into consideration. Such as pressing ability, the average amount of dribbles attempted and the influence that a prospective player has on their team.
When it comes to the above mentioned metrics, one of the most exciting footballers in European football ticks a lot of the boxes in Johan Bakayoko. And according to transfer expert, Rudy Galetti, he is already on Liverpool’s transfer list.
Why Johan Bakayoko is the perfect Mohamed Salah replacement for Liverpool
It’s no surprise to see Bakayoko on Liverpool’s radar. He profiles well against Salah. Just like the Egyptian he is a left-footed right-winger, who loves to cut inside and score goals but also create chances for his teammates.
This season he has already scored nine goals and registered 13 assists – which is a really solid output from a 20-year-old.
Even in terms of his underlying numbers, according to FBref, Bakayoko ranks in the in the 97th percentile among his positional peers for shots (3.75 per 90) and in the 89th percentile for shot-creating actions (5.37 per 90).
So again, Bakayoko like Salah has the tendency to take a high volume of shots but also create a high volume of chances.
On top of that, the Belgian international also a very efficient dribbler. He ranks in the 95th percentile for successful take-ons (3.43 per 90) and in the 98th percentile for progressive carries (7.13 per 90).
By every key metric, Bakayoko seems like he would be a really good fit for Liverpool. At 20-years-old he is already playing at a really high level, and is also a regular for his country.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if in the future, Liverpool do consider him as the perfect heir to Salah’s throne. Especially, since he is already on Edwards’ radar.
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