Mohamed Salah has etched his name into Liverpool folklore since joining the club in 2017

Mohamed Salah remains essential to Liverpool’s success

Mohamed Salah will prove impossible to replace but Liverpool will be forced to try in the coming years.

The legendary Egyptian signed a new contract in April to extend his Anfield stay until 2027 and Salah celebrated in style shortly afterwards as he lifted the Premier League title aloft at the end of an astonishing individual and collective campaign.

The 2024–25 Premier League Player of the Season has shown no signs of slowing down in the near future but Liverpool’s recruitment team will already be assessing potential replacements. The club’s ability to replace their modern icons has been integral to their continued success over the past decade.

Filling Salah’s shoes will prove an unenviable and arduous assignment for the next incumbent of his right wing berth, but there are a myriad of elite options Liverpool could turn to in their time of need.

Here are five possible heirs to Salah’s golden throne.

Michael Olise

Michael Olise

World class right wingers are like gold dust in the modern game and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise is one of the most valuable on the planet. Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder as well as on the flank, the Frenchman has hit dizzying new heights since trading Crystal Palace for the Bundesliga.

Olise enjoyed a devastating debut season with Bayern as he managed 20 goals and as many assists en route to the first major title of his career as the Bavarians clinched the Meisterschale. He was named Rookie of the Season for 2024–25 in the Bundesliga, producing consistently devastating performances from the right wing.

The 23-year-old’s effortless flair, impeccable first touch and eye for goal make him an unstoppable threat in full flight, with a return to the Premier League not an impossibility. Recent reports have suggested that Olise is viewed by the Reds as Salah’s dream replacement and the prospect of joining this current iteration of Liverpool would prove tantalising.

Olise has Premier League experience, star quality and the potential to reach an even loftier ceiling. He would be an excellent addition for the Reds.

Rodrygo

Rodrygo has been linked with a Real Madrid exit. / Diego Souto/Getty Images

Rodrygo was consistently linked with a Real Madrid exit over the summer, with Arsenal and Manchester City mentioned as potential suitors. The Brazilian has struggled to impress new manager Xabi Alonso and could seek refuge away from the Santiago Bernabéu—although he seems intent on winning Alonso over in 2024–25.

Liverpool have been touted as prospective buyers in previous windows, too, and it’s easy to see why. Rodrygo has the versatility required to operate on either wing but is extremely comfortable on the right-hand side despite also being right-footed. The Reds would likely prefer a left-footer capable of emulating Salah’s ability to cut inside and take aim at goal, but such talents are few and far between at the top level.

However, Rodrygo is impressively two-footed and has repeatedly dazzled on the right flank for Madrid, managing 34 goals and 31 assists in 146 appearances in the role. His blend of raw speed and skill would undoubtedly translate well to the Premier League, where he could step out of the shadow of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

Antoine Semenyo

Antoine Semenyo has regularly tormented Liverpool. / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Liverpool have first-hand experience of Antoine Semenyo’s excellence. The Ghana international opened the scoring in Bournemouth’s 3–1 defeat to Liverpool in 2023–24 as he rattled beyond Alisson in front of the Kop, and once again tormented their rearguard on the opening day of the current campaign.

Having been subject to alleged racist abuse in the first half of Bournemouth’s 4–2 defeat at Anfield, Semenyo proceeded to score a brace to cancel out Liverpool’s two-goal cushion. He raced into the centre of the penalty area to score the first, lifting a first time finish past Alisson, with his second epitomising his strengths as he strode powerfully from his own half into Liverpool territory before unleashing a pinpoint strike into the bottom corner.

Such consistently impressive performances have seen Semenyo rise to prominence on the south coast and he attracted significant interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United before signing a new contract over the summer. He managed 13 goals and six assists for the Cherries last season and proved a constant thorn in the side of the division’s left backs.

Semenyo might not be a blockbuster name but nor was Salah when he arrived at Anfield. He’s got proven Premier League experience, scope to improve and the mix of power and speed that many associate with Liverpool’s Egyptian.

Anthony Gordon

Anthony Gordon was previously on Liverpool’s books as a youngster. / Michael Steele/Getty Images

Anthony Gordon has been the subject of serious interest from Liverpool in the past. The Reds, who released the winger at the age of 11, were keen on signing the ex-Everton and current Newcastle United star last summer, but ultimately decided against matching the Magpies’ steep demands.

However, Gordon will remain firmly on Liverpool’s radar. Having already snatched Alexander Isak from Newcastle, could they return to Tyneside for the England international?

Gordon is not a traditional right winger, preferring to operate from the left-hand side. That offers him the opportunity to cut inside and wreak havoc on his stronger right foot, but Eddie Howe has utilised the 24-year-old from the right in previous seasons. When lining up on the right flank for the Magpies, he’s managed a goal and six assists in 11 appearances.

It would be a gamble to sign Gordon as an out-and-out Salah replacement given his preference for playing down the left, but there are few brighter talents than the Newcastle star. He’s a homegrown talent with enormous potential to be a world-beating forward in the years to come.

Bradley Barcola

Bradley Barcola has an exceptional future in store. / Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images

Bradley Barcola is another with a preference for playing on the left flank, but, like any winger worth their salt, he’s comfortable on the right, too. He’s managed five goals and 14 assists in 29 matches from the right wing across his career—nine of which have come across the last two seasons with European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcola has exploded into life under Luis Enrique and his numbers were sensational in 2024–25. He totaled 21 goals and 18 assists for the French giants and has now racked up 15 caps for France, scoring twice since his senior debut in May 2024.

Some reports have claimed that Liverpool saw multiple bids for Barcola rebuffed by PSG over the summer period, with L’Équipe also revealing the Reds’ admiration and interest in the 23-year-old dynamo.

Barcola has been somewhat overshadowed by clubmates Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé in recent times, but he’s just as important to PSG’s incredible transformation under Enrique. Liverpool would be foolish to ignore the Frenchman in future windows.