Liverpool to use LOAN player as short-term Mo Salah replacement | OneFootball

Liverpool’s problems with Mohamed Salah are now expected to stretch into 2026.

Although the Egyptian King was restored to the squad for the weekend Premier League game against Brighton, there remains widespread uncertainty over his future.

Salah, 33, remains under contract with the Premier League champions until 2027 but looks set to leave the club either in January or else next summer.

Liverpool may well entertain bids from Saudi Arabia for the winger - whose departure would leave a sizeable gap in the squad.

Harvey Elliott's Liverpool fate looked sealed

Currently away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah’s place in the squad will need to be covered in the short term and further into the future.

LFC x adidas

Shop the home range today!

LFC x adidas

Shop the goalkeeper range today

LFC x adidas Third Kit

Shop the third kit range today!

While the likes of Michael Olise or Antonie Semenyo could one day provide the big-money solution for the Reds’ Salah-shaped hole, we could see a stop-gap addition to the squad come the January transfer window.

Indeed Salah’s place in the squad may end up going to Harvey Elliott - whose Liverpool fate looked sealed on deadline day.

Villa will send Elliott back to Liverpool

The 22-year-old joined Aston Villa at the 11th hour on an initial loan deal with conditions attached for a permanent transfer. If Elliott were to play 10 top-flight games then Unai Emery’s side would have to pay £35m.

There is little to no chance of that happening - with a report in TEAMtalk now suggesting that Villa will send the playmaker back in January.

“Villa have already informed Liverpool that Elliott will not be allowed to meet the terms of the obligation, so they are looking at sending him back to Anfield next month,” the report reads.

Elliott therefore could give Arne Slot some breathing space on the right wing while Salah’s future is being sorted out.

© IMAGO - Harvey Elliott Liverpool

Liverpool will seek a summer deal for Elliott

Capable of playing a right-sided attacking role - or else being fielded as a conventional No10 - Elliott needs minutes to re-align his career following a washed-out loan spell.

His contract expires in 2027 and a successful stint under Slot in the second half of the season could have benefits for both Liverpool and Elliott.

It may bring him into the reckoning for England’s FIFA World Cup squad and may convince buyers that he is worth taking a chance on in summer 2026.

Elliott looks set to be handed a Liverpool lifeline and the next question is whether he will be able to take it.