Liverpool urged to sign ‘box office’ Bayern star as Salah successor named | OneFootball

Former England international Owen Hargreaves has urged Liverpool to set their sights on Bayern Munich star Michael Olise as the ready-made successor to Mohamed Salah.

With the Egyptian King officially confirming his departure at the end of the season, the search for a Salah replacement has become the most urgent task for the Liverpool hierarchy.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Hargreaves argued that the Reds cannot afford to take a gamble on a young prospect. Instead, he believes they must recruit a player who has already proven they can perform at the highest level of European football.

Owen Hargreaves tells Liverpool to sign Michael Olise

Hargreaves was emphatic in his endorsement of the French international, suggesting that Olise possesses the unique “box office” quality required to thrive at Anfield.

He said:

“If you are Liverpool, you have got to go ready. Tried and tested. For me, that would be Olise. Somebody of that calibre. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

“And I wouldn’t want to see him leave Bayern because that front three is amazing. But if you are talking about Olise on that right-hand side for Liverpool, that is box office.”

Michael Olise: Incredible numbers at Bayern Munich

The 24-year-old has been in sensational form since his move to Germany.

In the current 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Olise has already racked up a staggering 11 goals and 19 assists in just 25 appearances, taking his tally for the season to 16 goals and 27 assists in 39 games across all competitions.

His ability to both finish and create has made him one of the most productive players in Europe, with recent reports suggesting his market value has soared toward the €200m (£170m) mark.

How Michael Olise compares to Mohamed Salah

To understand why Hargreaves is so confident, one only needs to look at Mohamed Salah’s output at the same age. During the 2016/17 season at Roma, a 24-year-old Salah recorded 15 goals and 13 assists in 31 Serie A games.

While those numbers were enough to earn him a move to Liverpool, Olise is currently outperforming that pace in a more dominant Bayern Munich side.

Mo Salah vs Michael Olise stats aged 24 via Transfermarkt

With 30 direct goal involvements in just 25 league games this season so far, Olise is proving to be a more prolific playmaker than Salah was at the same stage of his career.

While Salah evolved into a relentless goal-scoring machine at Anfield, Olise’s current trajectory suggests he is already a more “complete” attacking threat.