Liverpool’s Salah replacement plan clear | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Salah Replacement Plan Takes Shape Under Slot

Liverpool’s summer transfer activity has been framed by one clear objective: preparing for life after Mohamed Salah. While the Egyptian remains central to Arne Slot’s plans in the short term, the club is already constructing a replacement plan that stretches years into the future.

Salah central to short-term ambitions

Salah’s decision to extend his contract by two years gave Liverpool stability. The forward, now 33, remains the most decisive figure in red. Slot has built his early blueprint around ensuring Salah receives the ball in the right areas, even tailoring defensive expectations to maximise his attacking output.

History suggests that betting against Salah continuing as Liverpool’s leading scorer is unwise. Yet the long-term reality cannot be ignored: by the time his deal concludes, he will be 35 and more than a decade into an Anfield career that has defined an era.

Strategic recruitment shapes future attack

Liverpool’s hierarchy acted with foresight during the transfer window. Alexander Isak arrived from Newcastle in a British record £125 million deal, joined by Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Hugo Ekitike from Paris Saint-Germain. Alongside them, Rio Ngumoha’s emergence adds another layer of depth, while Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa strengthen competition.

This is not simply squad building; it is succession planning. Each of the new additions has been identified as part of a phased transition, ensuring the attacking unit evolves without the upheaval of replacing Salah in one stroke.

By 2027, when Salah’s contract expires, Isak will be 27, Wirtz just 24, and Ekitike 25 – players entering the prime of their careers. Ngumoha will still be a teenager, regarded as one of the brightest academy prospects.

Slot’s tactical balance evolving

Slot has already demonstrated pragmatism in adjusting Liverpool’s structure to his squad’s strengths. While Salah remains the focal point, the new arrivals allow the Dutch coach to diversify the attack.

Last season, much of the attacking burden fell on Salah, supported by inconsistent options through the middle. Now, with Wirtz operating in the No 10 role and Isak and Ekitike capable of stretching defences, Liverpool can spread responsibility more evenly across the forward line.

For Slot, it is about balance – extracting the best from Salah while gradually reducing the overreliance that defined the latter years of Jürgen Klopp’s tenure.

Transition beyond a generational talent

Replacing Salah directly is not feasible. His output – a wide forward delivering striker-level goals year after year – is rare. Liverpool’s plan reflects that reality: the solution is collective rather than individual.

Wirtz brings creativity between the lines, Isak adds physicality and finishing, and Ekitike offers mobility and versatility. Together, they form a structure in which Salah’s eventual absence can be absorbed rather than exposed.

For now, Salah remains irreplaceable, and his importance is undiminished. But Liverpool’s recruitment strategy shows a club that has learned from the pitfalls of reactive rebuilding. Under Slot, the transition is already underway.