Mohamed Salah played his last game for Liverpool in May. The Egyptian, who joined from Roma in 2017 and became one of the greatest players in the club's history, left at the end of his contract with his legacy already written in gold. Two hundred and twenty-eight Premier League goals. A Champions League winners' medal. Back-to-back league titles. Now Liverpool face the task that no club ever relishes — replacing someone irreplaceable. Arne Slot's recruitment team has identified four primary targets and the club is expected to make a significant move in the summer window. This is where the search stands.
The Scale of What Liverpool Have Lost
It is worth pausing on what Salah's departure actually means before talking about replacements. In 2024-25 alone, he contributed 27 Premier League goals and 14 assists — figures that no other right winger in the division came close to. His combination of directness, goalscoring efficiency and ability to create from wide positions was unique. Liverpool knew for two years that this departure was coming and began planning accordingly, but there is no straight replacement for a player of that profile. Whatever they do next will be different. The question is whether different can be good enough to keep them competing at the very top.
Florian Wirtz — The Dream Move
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz is understood to be Liverpool's first choice. The 21-year-old German is widely regarded as one of the two or three best young midfielders in the world, and his ability to play across the attacking third gives Slot enormous flexibility. The obstacle is the fee — Leverkusen want in excess of £120m and have no immediate financial pressure to sell. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also interested. Liverpool's advantage is that Wirtz has expressed admiration for the Premier League and is known to have spoken with former Leverkusen teammates now in England. Whether that admiration translates into a choice to join Anfield over Madrid remains to be seen.
Luis Díaz as the Right-Side Solution
One option Liverpool are considering internally is shifting Luis Díaz from the left to the right flank and strengthening the left side instead. Díaz has the pace and directness to operate on either wing, and his improvement under Slot this season has been considerable. The risk is that moving him away from his more natural left side could blunt his effectiveness. Several Premier League managers who have faced Liverpool say Díaz is most dangerous when cutting inside from the left — replicating that threat from the opposite flank is a different proposition entirely.
Other Names in the Frame
Liverpool have also scouted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia extensively since his move from Napoli to PSG, though his Champions League final commitments this month mean any approach would come after Munich. Viktor Gyökeres of Sporting CP is another name that has been discussed internally — his goal record in Portugal is extraordinary — though he profiles more as a centre forward than a wide attacker. The summer window opens on July 1 and Liverpool's recruitment team have already held preliminary conversations with several agents. Slot will want the business done early, ahead of the pre-season tour, so that his new signings have maximum time to adapt before August.
Transfer context: Mohamed Salah departed Liverpool on a free transfer, May 2026 | Liverpool's reported primary target: Florian Wirtz, 21 (Bayer Leverkusen) | Estimated fee: £120m+ | Manager: Arne Slot
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