Liverpool warned Salah is ‘gone’ as elite star as FSG are told to splurge new record fee for ‘perfect fit’ heir | OneFootball

Liverpool have been warned that the time to replace Mohamed Salah is now upon them, with the Egyptian having been on decline since December 2024, according to one observer, though TEAMtalk sources can quickly deflate his hopes of the Reds landing on a £140m-rated replacement.

The Egyptian has proved one of the greatest signings in Liverpool history and has now scored a colossal 254 goals for the Reds across his 432 appearances. And having won eight major honours in that time, Salah will go down in Anfield folklore, despite the 33-year-old failing to match his own high standards this season.

Indeed, Salah recently went 1o Premier League games without a goal – his longest-ever drought in Liverpool colours – and still only has nine strikes from 31 appearances across all competitions so far, meaning he is well on course to rack up the lowest-ever tally over a single season for the Reds.

As a result, speculation that a summer exit could be on the cards has gathered pace in recent weeks and TEAMtalk has led the way on that front by revealing that Saudi Pro-League chiefs are prepared to raise the stakes to prise Salah to the Gulf State with no just a salary beyond his wildest dreams but also with the promise of becoming an ambassador for the country.

It has since been revealed that Liverpool may also take a whopping £113m hit on the player after a top limit was set on the cost of a potential transfer.

Now off the back of all that, former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann has looked into Salah’s decline and explained why the Reds should break their transfer record again to sign Michael Olise as his replacement.

Speaking (via Liverpool.com), Hamann stated: “Mohamed Salah has struggled since the Christmas before last. He struggled to score goals from open play, and that hasn’t changed; it won’t change. He might get the odd goal, but he certainly doesn’t have the influence he used to have on Liverpool.

“Hopefully, we’ll see a little cameo over the last nine or ten games to get Liverpool into the top five. But I think his best days are behind him.”

Hamann crushed in Olise to Liverpool dream

On why Liverpool should do all in their power to sign the £140m-rated (€162m, $188m) Olise as a replacement, Hamann added: “For Liverpool, Michael Olise would be the perfect fit because he plays on the right-hand side, comes inside. He’s been brilliant since he came to Bayern Munich.

“He’s been a bit quiet in the last few weeks, but there are other players who decide games. But now with the Champions League starting again, I think we’ll probably see the best of him again.

“He’s a wonderful player. I probably couldn’t think of a more perfect replacement for Salah than him. Bayern Munich will be reluctant to let him go because I don’t think he’s got a clause in his contract.

“He seems to be pretty settled and happy here. And if he only wants to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid, then that might not even come into the equation. But yeah, I’m sure that Liverpool will try their utmost to maybe get him out of Munich.”

Despite those wishes, we revealed last week that Bayern had absolutely zero intention of cashing in on the 24-year-old France international, while the player himself was also content to stay at the Allianz Arena amid fresh enquiries from Liverpool, Manchester City and PSG over a possible summer move.

Days later, our claims were then backed up by Fabrizio Romano.

However, Liverpool could have more joy chasing a deal for Yan Diomande.

The RB Leipzig winger has also enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough season and, amid an understanding that he is fast becoming Liverpool’s top target, sources revealed on Tuesday morning that the Reds are prepared to launch an early summer bid to get ahead of the competition for the teenager.

Salah’s decline explained

As for Salah, Hamman has done his best to explain the player’s decline.

“They’re all struggling, and the issue with Mohamed Salah is that, in the form he’s been in over the last decade, he didn’t just score and create goals, he created space for others,” he said.

“At times, he was unplayable, requiring two players to try to stop him. If you use two players on Salah, that creates space for someone else. I think they all benefited from that, and that’s gone now because Salah isn’t the force he once was. He scored his first league goal since November or something against Wolves.

“I think it’s a combination of a couple of things, but the way the team is playing now, I don’t think it’s easy for the forwards or wingers to shine because they just don’t control games.

“This control is why they were so good last season, it makes it much easier for the forwards to take a chance and maybe take a risk. I don’t think they have that now because they’re too open at the back. So, I think it’s a combination of factors, but it’s fair to say Cody Gakpo hasn’t played as well as he used to, either.”

Latest Liverpool news: Alisson future clear; UCL star wants Anfield move

Another winger Liverpool we can reveal the Reds have held exploratory talks at signing has been given the green light to leave his Saudi Arabian employers for a cut-price fee and return to the Premier League this summer after previously impressing for Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, there’s rampant speculation about the future of the once-again injured Alisson Becker, and the latest from Italy has revealed what Liverpool are really thinking over the Brazilian’s future.

Elsewhere, TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Liverpool see a Serie A defender as the ideal replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

However, Barcelona lead the pursuit and are confident the Italian will join them instead.