Liverpool urged to sign £160m Mo Salah replacement as risky plan B named | OneFootball

Liverpool have been told Paris Saint-Germain superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia should be their No 1 pick to replace Mohamed Salah, with Emile Heskey also naming a surprise backup option.

Salah will leave Liverpool on a free transfer this summer, ending a phenomenal, record-breaking nine-year spell at Anfield. The right winger’s contract had been due to run until June 2027, but the two parties have agreed to terminate it a year early so he can join a new club.

It will be extremely tough for Liverpool to find a player who can replace Salah’s goals and wider influence, but they are busy working on potential successors.

RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande is their favoured target, while other options include Monaco ace Maghnes Akliouche and Yankuba Minteh of Brighton.

However, Heskey would love Liverpool to complete a statement deal for deadly Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia.

The former striker also mentioned Chelsea flop Christian Pulisic as a shock target Liverpool should consider.

“We’re talking about replacing Mohamed Salah, and I think as fans you’ve got to look at something different because you can’t replace Mo Salah,” he said (via Metro).

“I remember one season I was speaking to someone who said Mo’s had a bad season. He’d scored 25 goals! I’d love to have had that bad of a season. We’re talking about someone scoring 20 plus, nearly 30 goals a season for 10 years.

“I don’t think you can replace Mo Salah, but I do like the lad from PSG, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He would be my go-to.

“Would Jarrod Bowen be a downgrade from Mohamed Salah? I think most players are a downgrade compared to Salah, but to be honest with you, Bowen is a different type of player, and he would probably help the formation because he’s going to work a little bit harder than Mo.

“I’m not saying Mo doesn’t work hard, but Bowen has a different work rate and work ethic because he’s coming from West Ham and before that the lower leagues. It’s totally different.

“I actually quite like Christian Pulisic. He is very direct. He probably didn’t get as many goals as I would have liked him to get at Chelsea, but I thought he gave defences problems.

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Pulisic could emulate Salah – Heskey

“Obviously after a good World Cup, being at home with the pressure on him, he is definitely someone who could offer something different to Mohamed Salah or even Cody Gakpo right now.

“Mo left Chelsea to go to Italy and look at what he’s done for Liverpool. I think it’d be great to see someone like Pulisic come back into the Premier League in the same way.

“I’m guessing he would love to show that his time at Chelsea was just a little blip. He was only a young lad when he came over.”

We confirmed on March 27 that Liverpool hold interest in Kvaratskhelia. However, PSG have shut down any potential exit by giving him a mega £160million price tag.

We revealed on February 12 that Pulisic is increasingly open to a return to England, with intermediairies having spoken to Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur were previously viewed as the leading contenders for Pulisic, but any move will have to wait until they find out which league they will be playing in next season.

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