Time to replace Mohamed Salah? Five wingers Liverpool could sign for €50m this summer

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Top transfer targets 

Although Euro 2024 is in full swing, football clubs up and down England are hard at work focusing on who they can sign ahead of the new season. The previous campaign saw Premier League clubs spend no less than €2.94 billion on new players and there’s little doubt that the English top-flight will try to match that amount this time around. And in the case of one club in particular, this summer may prove to be an expensive one. 

While Liverpool are by no means one of England’s biggest spenders, a new manager in the form of Arne Slot and a number of ageing stars may force the Anfield club to dig deep and bring in a number of new faces to improve a squad that once again fell off the pace of the Premier League title race last season. There are a number of positions that Slot will have to take a closer look at and perhaps none will be as important as the right wing role in his team next season. 

Do Liverpool need a new right winger for next season?

Although Liverpool can lay claim to one of the best right-sided forwards in the Premier League in the form of Mohamed Salah, there’s little doubt that the Egyptian international will need a helping hand on the right wing next season. Having just turned 32, the forward began to show his age last season with a number of sub-par performances for Jürgen Klopp’s side, despite bagging an impressive 28 goals and assists in the Premier League. Whether it’s down to being overplayed or simply getting older, Salah can’t be relied upon to win games almost single-handedly like he once could for Liverpool. And while Slot does have a number of options on the left wing and through the middle, the only other right winger in Liverpool’s squad is 18-year-old Ben Doak, unless Slot hopes to use Harvey Elliot in the position going forward. 

So who should Liverpool look to sign in the summer in a bid to ease the burden on Salah next season? Considering the club’s previous transfer record of €50 million for a winger, we’ve identified five potential signings for the Anfield club to consider this summer. Whether they’ll be needed as simply cover for the position or as long-term successors to Salah’s crown, each of these players should prove to be excellent signings for the club if they can get a deal over the line. We’ve also limited the potential signings to players aged 25 or younger, since the club typically sign players under that age range when they’re spending large sums of money. 

Who could Liverpool sign for the right wing next season?

First on our list is none other than Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, who continues to make a name for himself with his impressive performances in LaLiga. Following his departure from Real Madrid in July 2022 for just €6.5m, the Japan international has worked hard to prove that he’s capable of playing at the highest level. Last season the young forward played predominantly through the middle and bagged no less than 18 goals and assists in 44 games for Sociedad in all competitions, but this season has seen Kubo move out right and play almost exclusively as a right winger. There, the young star has bagged seven goals and five assists in 41 games in the previous campaign and at just 23 years of age there’s little doubt that he could score even more in a team surrounded by top-class players. 

After coming through the club’s youth academy, Johan Bakayoko then burst on to the scene for Dutch club PSV last season, when he bagged no less than 10 goals and assists in 23 league games for the club. This previous season saw the young winger do even better in a title-winning campaign, where Bakayoko picked up 12 goals and nine assists. Although played predominantly on the right wing, the Belgium international undoubtedly has an eye for goal in much the same way as Salah. Although his market value may prove to be a bit of a stumbling block for Liverpool, there’s little doubt that the 21-year-old talent would be an ideal long-term replacement for Salah and a boost to Liverpool’s front line.

Although his name may not get the spines of Liverpool fans tingling with excitement, the Anfield club could do a lot worse than Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo this summer. With a contract until 2026, the Cameroon international won’t come cheap, but his ability to play as a second striker or on the right wing would make him an ideal back-up and potential long-term successor to Salah. Last season Mbeumo bagged nine goals and six assists in 25 Premier League games for a Brentford side that struggled for much of the campaign. And there’s little doubt that he could really thrive in front of goal if he played in a team that dominated possession and created more chances, such as Liverpool. 

With just one Premier League campaign under his belt, Simon Adingra is perhaps one of the most unproven players on this list of potential Liverpool signings but that should discourage the Anfield club from seriously considering the young star. Across all competitions for Brighton last season, Adingra bagged no less than seven goals and three assists, which worked out at a respectable average of 0.32 goals or assists per 90 minutes. There’s no doubt that Ivory Coast talent isn’t ready to replace a star like Salah just yet, but he could be a more ideal option to join Slot’s team and be an ideal understudy to the Egyptian forward. Especially if he proves to be a little cheaper than some of the other names on the list. 

Last but certainly not least on our list of potential signings for Liverpool this summer is none other than Villarreal winger Yéremy Pino. Having come through the club’s youth ranks, Pino broke into the first team two seasons ago as a useful substitute, but has since established himself as a first team regular for the Yellow Submarine this time around. Four goals and six assists in LaLiga last season from right wing certainly hinted at a young star in the making, before a nasty injury all but ruled him out of the 23/24 campaign. However, should Liverpool get confirmation that his injury isn’t a serious, long-term concern, swooping in for the Spanish talent before other big clubs could prove to be a real bargain.