If Mohamed Salah makes what could be his final appearance at Old Trafford next month, Manchester United will hope that the Liverpool legend, who has often been a thorn in the side of the Red Devils in recent years, is not in business as usual.
Those of United’s persuasion may actually be happy to see the back of the Egyptian, given his stellar performance so far in this game.
Salah – Results against the Big 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
club | game | Goal (assist) |
spurs | twenty five | 16(5) |
manchester united | 18 | 16(6) |
man city | 26 | 13(8) |
arsenal | 19 | 11(2) |
chelsea | twenty five | 8(4) |
total | 113 | 64(25) |
In fact, the 33-year-old has made 18 appearances against the Red Devils in both league and cup competitions, scoring 16 times, all in the beginning of 2020 alone.
It may pain United supporters to admit it, but the former Chelsea and Roma man is one of the finest when it comes to forwards in the modern Premier League, and has broken numerous records since returning from Italy in 2017.
The battle to find the next Salah in the top league is now underway for this summer.
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The midfield unit is a priority at Old Trafford alongside the appointment of a new permanent manager, but there is certainly room for improvement in attack.
Amad has just two goals and two assists this season and will not contribute at all in 2026. Brian Mbeumo has not scored since the win against Tottenham Hotspur. And Matheus Cunha has scored just two goals in his last nine games.
The latter pair were signed for £65m and £62.5m respectively and had a bright debut season in Manchester, but will need more strength ahead of a potential Champions League place next season.
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With that in mind, Sportboom has reported that United are in a race with Arsenal to sign Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi, with the Bundesliga side keen to sign the German ahead of next season.
Dortmund are said to be “open to negotiations” for a transfer fee of around 60 million euros (approximately £52 million), with INEOS said to be ready to make a financial offer to the German giants “at the beginning of the summer”.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, who are expected to win the championship, have also entered the fray, with Mikel Arteta and others viewing the 24-year-old as a “joker”, an explosive, game-changing forward who can play across the entire front line.
Why Adeyemi could be the Premier League’s next Salah
Liverpool raised eyebrows when they paid £34m to sign Salah from Roma in the summer of 2017, but even manager Jurgen Klopp is thought to be hesitant about a player who has struggled to make a mark at Stamford Bridge.
But the bright minds on Merseyside sensed something and stuck to their guns, relying on a player who has scored 55 goals and provided an assist in just 83 games at the Stadio Olimpico.
The rest, as they say, is history, with Salah proving a devastating presence on the right from the get-go, combining his majesty with frightening speed and formidable dribbling ability.
Adeyemi is just a year younger than the Egyptian when he moved to Anfield and may not have reached that level yet, but as with Salah, there are good reasons to take a chance on him.
The former Red Bull Salzburg star, who was previously tipped as a potential successor to Liverpool’s aging winger, is a weapon in his element and regularly saves his main job for important moments.
Looking at just a montage of recent Champions League highlights, an outsider would think he is one of the best players in the world, boasting a combination of near-unstoppable speed and brutal decisiveness.
The problem, like the young Salah, is that the left-footer hasn’t made enough progress over a period of time, but when he’s fit and performing, it’s hard to argue with his undoubted talent.
The £52m-rated forward has scored 60 goals and provided assists in 144 games so far in a Dortmund shirt, with 15 of those goals coming in 34 games in 2025/26.
As mentioned above, the Champions League stage was particularly good for Adeyemi, as he scored 16 goals and provided a further seven assists in just 48 appearances.
Last season, for example, he scored five of his 10 goals in Europe’s top competition, including a clinical hat-trick in the league against Scottish champions Celtic.
Although he is comfortable on the left or in the middle, he is at his best on the right wing, making him an attractive target for a United side, where Amad has improved in recent months.
With Bukayo Saka struggling for form and fitness and Noni Maduke scoring just two league goals in his debut season at the Emirates, it’s easy to see why the Gunners would also be involved and could give INEOS a serious fight if they get the deal over the line.
We live in an era where proven quality is important in the Premier League, but sometimes you have to take risks, as Liverpool have shown with Salah.
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