Dean Saunders has warned Liverpool that their reported replacement for Mohamed Salah is nowhere near the level of the Egyptian. Salah’s future has been thrown into doubt ever since his explosive interview following his team’s 3-3 league draw against Leeds United, in which he claimed that his relationship with Arne Slot had broken down.
Slot responded to the comments by dropping the player from Liverpool’s team that beat Inter Milan 1-0 in Italy in the UEFA Champions League on December 9. Salah’s place in the team is uncertain as they prepare to take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on December 13. So, why does Saunders think the Reds will find it hard to replace Salah?
Liverpool Told Premier League Winger is ‘Nowhere Near’ Mohamed Salah’s Level
Liverpool have been linked with the likes of West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, Bayern Munich superstar Michael Olise, and Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo in the build-up to the January transfer window. Semenyo, in particular, is a name that has been heavily linked and is reportedly a strong contender to replace Salah in Liverpool’s XI.
Saunders, a former striker for the Reds, however, doesn’t view the Bournemouth star at the same level as Salah. He pointed out that he had claimed the Egyptian was the world’s best player four months ago, given the difficulty of the Premier League, and reminded fans that the winger was the PFA Player of the Year the previous season.
Saunders went on to say, via Casino.org (via GOAL), “The club does need Mo Salah in the team, it’s so hard to replace him. There is no way Semenyo is as good as Mo Salah. It’s a different level. At one point we thought Son [Heung-min] at Tottenham would probably get a game for Liverpool if [Sadio] Mane went. If Salah goes, who do they get.”
After name-dropping Bukayo Saka as a potential replacement and recognizing that Arsenal may not let him go easily, the Welsh pundit added, “For whatever reason, this season he has not been the player he has been. I think it’s a bit premature at the moment to say ‘let’s get another player to replace him’. They will have to at some point. They will have players lined up.”
Salah signed a new two-year deal this April, but he could well have played his last game for the club, given his unstable situation at Anfield and the fact that he has to represent Egypt in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) later this month.
Arne Slot To Hold Talks With Mohamed Salah As Liverpool Prepare For Brighton Test
Slot, in his pre-match press conference before the game against Brighton, said that he plans on holding talks with Salah before announcing his next team sheet. The Egyptian has been benched in the Reds’ last three league matches after a slow start to the season, where he has scored just five times in 18 games.
“I will have a conversation with Mo. The outcome of that conversation determines how things will look [on Saturday]”, Slot told the media (via BBC).
Salah has widely been considered undroppable, and that was the case up until November. However, a string of poor performances appears to have nudged Slot in the direction of dropping the former Chelsea winger, especially given Liverpool’s recent poor results.
Salah has scored 250 times in 420 matches for the Reds since joining them from AS Roma in 2017, and has helped them win multiple titles during that time, including two league titles and two Champions League titles.
