Mohamed Salah’s absence will be keenly felt at Anfield next season, but Liverpool have work to do and need to find a way to overcome the culmination of the club legend’s journey.
Salah was a unique player for the Reds, someone who defied logic with his goals and assists and sheer will to win.
Premier League legend Salah left on a free transfer at the end of the 2025/26 season, in what may have been his toughest period in English football.
Arne Slott’s death was linked to the decline of the Egyptian king himself. In the end, Slott and Salah cannot run away from each other, and neither will be playing on Merseyside next year, when Slott’s Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy and Salah was the driving force behind that victory, something that seemed a given just 14 months ago.
But now the Reds need a new talisman, and Bradley Barcola is at the top of that list.
Bradley Barcola’s latest move to Liverpool
Liverpool threw the kitchen sink at RB Leipzig winger Yann Diomande, who had already seen offers rebuffed for the Ivorian winger, but he is not expected to move to Merseyside this summer, having taken advantage of a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain through the Anfield advance.
There’s no time for FSG to feel the heat under their collars. With Salah gone, Liverpool have a job to do and it is becoming increasingly clear that PSG’s Barcola is their new top target.
Barcola won’t be a terrible setback. The 23-year-old has scored 34 goals and provided 28 assists in his last two seasons with PSG, an achievement he has carried across the pond with his country.
In fact, Barcola posed a threat at the World Cup. Although he is no Mbappe, he is a formidable member of France’s front line, who remain solidified as trophy contenders.
As analyst Ben Mattinson says, he is “one of the best leftists in the world.” That’s all well and good, but Liverpool have already signed Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5m this summer, and Kodi Gakpo is also expected to remain at the club.
Liverpool are in need of a right-sided forward and sporting director Richard Hughes may want to pivot to another target instead.
Why Liverpool should sign a Premier League star over Barcola
Barcola is undoubtedly talented, but he is not a natural right winger, so signing him to replace Salah might not be the most auspicious move FSG could make this summer.
After all, French newspaper L’Equipe believe PSG are only considering selling the Le Bleu international for a fee of £128m, which would see him surpass Alexander Isak as the Premier League’s record signing.
Liverpool cannot afford to take this lightly and with that key fact in mind, it appears Andoni Iraola’s side could turn their attention to Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minte instead.
This is according to TEAMtalk, who claim the £80m-valued winger could be on the move this summer, with Liverpool right at the front of the pack.
Minte may not have the reputation that Barcola has enjoyed in recent years, but he is proven within the Premier League and is said to have enough quality to “reach the level of Sadio Mane”, according to one Serbian football scout.
The 21-year-old is a fast and ferocious right-winger who can win many duels and dazzles with his dribbling. What is his offensive approach? Variety. He can score and he can assist.
It might be more effective for Liverpool to replace Salah with a different profile, thereby avoiding a hopeless attempt to recreate the impossible, and instead create something new on the right wing in Iraola.
And given that the right-handed Barcola is currently said to be the “closest player” to Salah on the market, according to Anfield Index’s Dave Hendrick, it’s perhaps understandable why he shouldn’t be targeted, as his hopes of hitting the same mark would certainly be dashed. Instead, Minte will bring something new with an energetic approach that perfectly suits Iraola’s style of football.
Yankuba Minte’s progress in the Premier League | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Match (start) | 32(20) | 34(26) |
the goal | 6 | 3 |
assist | 4 | 4 |
Number of shots (on target)* | 1.1 (0.5) | 1.2(0.3) |
missed a big opportunity | 8 | 4 |
Exact path* | 9.5 (69%) | 12.6 (68%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 8 | 11 |
Key pass* | 0.9 | 1.4 |
It was successful. dribble* | 1.4 | 1.9 |
collect* | 2.7 | 2.8 |
Tackle + Interception* | 1.8 | 2.1 |
Win a duel* | 3.8 | 4.8 |
It will be difficult to replace Salah with a similar player. If Liverpool were to make a move for Vinicius Junior, there could be a whole host of problems.
Instead, FSG are willing to sign a player without the ‘superstar’ tag, and Minte could be that player, quickly developing into a top winger in the Premier League, but still has a lot to prove.
His pace and willingness to fit in should have helped Iraola move him onto their shortlist, and this is a deal Liverpool need to make happen.
If rumors are to be believed and Barcola ends up paying a record fee in England, Minte will undoubtedly be the priority signing.
After all, he is much more comfortable on the right side, and wouldn’t that rather matter when choosing someone to replace Salah?
