Liverpool want deal for €45m forward to replace Mo Salah | OneFootball

Liverpool will be waving goodbye to Mohamed Salah at the end of the current season.

The Egyptian King, 33, is drawing the curtain on a glorious nine-year spell on Merseyside. Salah and sporting director Richard Hughes have agreed to rip up the forward’s £400k per week contract - which was due to run until 2027.

Focus will soon turn on which player will come into the club to replace Salah - who has won the Champions League and two Premier League titles with Liverpool among other honours.

And if a report in Sports Boom is to be believed then an emerging talent from the Belgian league could be on club recruiters’ radar as a back-up option to Salah's ultimate successor.

Karetsas wanted as a back-up option

Konstantinos Karetsas is making a name for himself at Genk - and is now wanted by all of the Premier League’s leading lights.

“The Greek international is under contract until 2029,” the report reads.

“Therefore, for Genk to sell him, they will need to be fully satisfied financially. “Their demands are very clear: a starting price of €45 million, but effectively in the form of an auction.

“Who is interested? The answer is simple: some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League,” the report continues.

“Manchester City are monitoring him as an option behind Semenyo, especially if Savinho departs.

“Arsenal have considered him, although they already have Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Ethan Nwaneri/Dowman-type profiles on the right.

“Liverpool could view him as a secondary option behind Mohamed Salah’s long-term replacement.

“Manchester United see him as a project player who could support Amad Diallo, while Chelsea are also firmly in the picture."

Konstantinos Karetsas: Situation summary

Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, is a Greek‑Belgian attacking midfielder who plays for Genk and has quickly become one of the standout teenage creators in Europe.

A left‑footer who can operate as a central 10 or drifting from the right, he broke records early by becoming the youngest scorer in Belgian professional league history and has since stepped up from Jong Genk to regular first‑team minutes, plus senior caps and goals for Greece.

His game is built on close control, ambipedal passing and vision between the lines: he drops into pockets, draws midfielders, then slips disguised through‑balls or switches play, with scouting reports likening aspects of his style to Ødegaard‑type advanced playmakers.

In 2025‑26 he has moved from “cameo” to “difference‑maker”, with rising goal‑contribution and dribble numbers in the Jupiler Pro League and Europe.

Karetsas extended his Genk deal to 2029, and the club are explicit that any sale must smash their record, starting around €45m amid talk of a €40m‑plus release clause.