Mohamed Salah’s absence will be sorely felt at Anfield next season, but Liverpool have work to do, and they need to find a way to overcome the end of the club’s legendary journey.
Salah was a one-of-a-kind player for the Reds, someone who defied logic with the volume of his goals and assists and his will to win.
A Premier League legend, Salah left on a free transfer at the end of the 2025/26 season, and it could be the hardest move for English football.
Arne Slot’s death coincided with the downfall of the King of Egypt himself. In the end, Slot and Salah could not escape alone, and will not play on Merseyside next year when that seemed a given only 14 months ago, as Slot’s Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy, Salah was the architect of that success.
Now, however, the Reds need a new talisman, and Bradley Barcola is at the top of the list.
The latest on Bradley Barcola at Liverpool
Liverpool have thrown the kitchen sink at RB Leipzig winner Yan Diomande, who have already seen a bid rebuffed for the Ivory Coast winger, but he took advantage of a move to Paris Saint-Germain with a boost at Anfield, and will not be moving to Merseyside this summer.
There is no time for FSG to feel hot under the collar; Liverpool have work to do now that Salah has left, and it is becoming increasingly clear that PSG’s Barcola is their top target.
Barcola wouldn’t be a bad mistake. The 23-year-old has scored 34 goals and provided 28 assists in the past two years with PSG, carrying that form across his country.
Indeed, Barcola has created a fear for himself in the World Cup. He is not Mbappe, but he is still part of a French team that has built a reputation as cup favourites.
As commentator Ben Mattinson puts it, he is “one of the best left-backs in the world”. All well and good, but Liverpool have already signed Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5m this summer, and Cody Gakpo should stay at the club.
Liverpool need a right-back, and sporting director Richard Hughes may want to turn to a different target.
Why Liverpool should sign a Premier League star to replace Barcola
Barcola is undoubtedly talented, but he is not a natural right winger, so signing him instead of Salah might not be the best move for FSG this summer.
After all, France’s L’Equipe believe PSG will only consider selling the Le Bleus international for £128m, and that would take him over Premier League record signing Alexander Isak.
Liverpool cannot afford this, and with that important fact in mind, it seems that Andoni Iraola’s side could instead turn their attention to Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh.
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who say the £80m winger could move on this summer, with Liverpool at the front of the queue.
Minteh may not have the accolades that Barcola enjoyed a few years ago, but he has proven himself in the Premier League and is said to have enough quality to “reach the level of Sadio Mane”, according to a Serbian football scout.
The 21-year-old is quick and aggressive down the right, able to win a number of duels and shines with his play. His method of attack? Various. He can score and he can assist.
It might work better for Liverpool to adopt a different profile for Salah, thus avoiding a hopeless attempt to repeat the impossible, instead of creating something new on the right wing of Iraola.
And given that the right-footed Barcola has been described as “the closest thing” to Salah on the market right now, according to Anfield Index’s Dave Hendrick, perhaps you can understand why he shouldn’t be targeted, as his hopes of hitting the same beats would surely plummet. Minteh, instead, will bring something new, with a high-octane approach that will perfectly suit Iraola’s style of football.
|
Yankuba Minteh’s Premier League development |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Math (* in 90) |
24/25 |
25/26 |
|
The same (begins) |
32 (20) |
34 (26) |
|
Goals |
6 |
3 |
|
It helps |
4 |
4 |
|
Shots (on target)* |
1.1 (0.5) |
1.2 (0.3) |
|
Great opportunities are not missed |
8 |
4 |
|
Accurate passes* |
9.5 (69%) |
12.6 (68%) |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
8 |
11 |
|
Key passes* |
0.9 |
1.4 |
|
Success. dribble* |
1.4 |
1.9 |
|
Adoption* |
2.7 |
2.8 |
|
Facing + meeting* |
1.8 |
2.1 |
|
Duels won* |
3.8 |
4.8 |
Replacing Salah with a player like him would be difficult. It is said that Liverpool have moved to sign Vinicius Junior, there are many problems that may arise.
Instead, FSG are keen to move for someone who doesn’t have the ‘star’ tag, and Minteh could be that man, quickly developing into a player in the Premier League’s top division, but still has a lot to prove.
His pace and willingness to get stuck in will surely have seen Iraola play a part in guiding him down the shortlist, and it’s a deal Liverpool must make.
If the rumors are to be believed, and Barcola will command a record-breaking fee in England, Minteh is surely the signing to be prioritized.
After all, he is very liberal on the right, and isn’t that important when choosing Salah’s replacement?
