Liverpool’s quest to fill the Mohamed Salah void this summer may have been made easier by two big results over the weekend.
If you are a young, talented wide player already playing senior football, there is a good chance the Reds have looked at you. Liverpool are browsing some of Europe’s elite attacking talent in a bid to minimise the damage caused by Salah’s departure.
Yan Diomande to Liverpool looks increasingly difficult after RB Leipzig secured Champions League football and the teenager committed his future to the club. But two other prominent targets, Maghnes Akliouche and Bazoumana Toure, now look more attainable than they did a few days ago.
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Maghnes Akliouche and Bazoumana Toure should be more attainable now for Liverpool
European competition matters to elite young players. That has already been made clear by Diomande, who appears ready to stay at Leipzig after they secured a place in the Champions League.
Thankfully for Liverpool, two other possible Salah replacements do not have quite the same pull keeping them where they are.
Akliouche is one of them.
Liverpool have been linked with the Monaco star, who is valued at around £45m and has produced eight goals and 12 assists in all competitions this season.
Akliouche can play from the right or as an attacking midfielder, giving Liverpool a player who can drift inside, create chances and help share the creative burden.
Monaco missing out on the Champions League should only help Liverpool’s chances, especially with the 24-year-old now involved in a stacked France setup and surely looking for a platform that matches his growing status.
Toure is another name to watch. Liverpool and Arsenal have both been linked with the Hoffenheim winger, who has five goals and nine assists this season.
The 20-year-old is explosive, direct and still developing, which makes him exactly the sort of forward Liverpool usually like to get in before the price becomes ridiculous.
Hoffenheim have qualified for the Europa League, so this is not quite the same as a club being completely cut off from Europe. But missing the Champions League still matters, and it could make it harder for them to keep Toure if Liverpool or Arsenal arrive with a serious offer.
Missing out on Europe can make players impatient, especially when clubs like Liverpool are offering a route to the biggest stages. It can also make selling clubs more willing to cash in, with no Champions League revenue there to strengthen their hand.
Neither Akliouche nor Toure is ready to simply fill Salah’s boots — those boots might be unfillable.
But this summer is not about finding one player to replace every goal, assist and match-winning moment. It is about recruiting smartly and making sure the team, rather than one individual, can take on Salah’s workload.
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