All is swell at Liverpool. Or is it? How curious, that Liverpool should be eight points clear at the top of the Premier League in the wake of Jurgen Klopp’s departure.
How intriguing that the Reds failed to complete the trigger-happy summer transfer window that fans demanded, and felt was so imperative to the success of the new era.
How funny, then, that Arne Slot’s side are firing freely on all cylinders, even though those contractual concerns loom over Anfield like an encroaching shadow.
How curious that Mohamed Salah should choose now to go against his own grain and speak to the matchday media.
Mohamed Salah's St. Mary's comments
Salah is a voracious chess player, and his decision to speak of his situation after Liverpool defeated Southampton felt like a calculated gambit as the clock ticks away.
36 days remain until Salah – as well as Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold – can agree to pre-contract deals with clubs from overseas. It’s concerning to say the least.
The Egypt phenomenon is Liverpool’s highest-paid player in history, earning £350k per week plus bonuses, and the fact that he turns 33 in June, compounded by the other contract quandaries, has left Richard Hughes dealing with protracted and difficult negotiations.
One thing’s for sure: Liverpool won’t succeed in replacing Salah next summer, not in terms of output. However, if that unthinkable scenario were to occur, the Reds are keen on replacing him with a brilliant Premier League player.
Liverpool in talks for Salah successor
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are weighing up a move for Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United, with the electric winger understood to have an £85m release clause in his contract.
Said to have wowed Reds scouts, Kudus isn’t a goalscoring winger but brings his qualities through other means. Liverpool simply can’t replace Salah with a pastiche; it would fall flat.
Instead, Slot could triumph in reshaping Liverpool’s frontline with such a wide forward.
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What Mohammed Kudus would bring to Liverpool
Principally fielded on the left flank with West Ham, Kudus might find that his ball-striking success enjoys an upswing with a move to Anfield, where he would occupy the right flank in Salah’s wake.
1.
Mohammed Kudus
West Ham
124
2.
Jeremy Doku
Man City
87
3.
Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle
72
4.
Ebere Eze
Crystal Palace
69
5.
Luis Diaz
Liverpool
67
As the table above alludes to, he’s an elite brand of dribbler, ranking among the top 11% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for goals scored, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
The Ghana international’s performances have seen him likened, statistically as per FBRef, to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who might not be on Salah’s level but is soaring toward a similar ballpark, having posted five goals and eight assists across 16 matches in all competitions this season.
Saka, 23, ranks among the top 3% of positional peers in the league this year for goals scored, the top 1% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 1% for progressive carries per 90. It’s clear to see the similarities between the players.
Not just athletic sensations, though, both wingers like to get stuck in. Kudus has won 6.6 duels per game this season to line up nicely against Saka, who boasts an average of six.
Described as a “generational talent” by journalist Gary Al-Smith, Kudus still has much to work on before hitting the level of a top-performing Premier League forward such as Salah, but he’s still only 24 years old – younger than Salah when he joined Liverpool – and is endowed with the athleticism and technical skill to be a triumph.
Move over Salah: 8/10 Liverpool star just dropped his best game under Slot
Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after defeating Southampton 3-2.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 25, 2024