Arne Slot needed some inspiration with his Liverpool team looking down and out in Paris so turned round to those waiting patiently on the substitutes’ bench.
Mohamed Salah, sporting a neutral facial expression but most likely brimming with frustration internally, was left waiting in his high-vis bib and club tracksuit.
When in desperate need of a goal at 2-0 down to Paris Saint-Germain, Slot did not fancy the man with 255 of them for the club.
Not for the first time this season, the forward was deemed surplus to requirements. Soon, he will wave farewell after nine years and whether Slot likes to admit it or not, he is losing a mighty good player. The best of his era at Liverpool, maybe the Premier League in general, the greatest goalscorer we have seen in England over the last decade.
Fresh on the back of spending £450million last summer, those in charge at Anfield are now drafting up their plan for how to replace Salah – and it won’t be easy.
Daily Mail Sport has looked at how they will do that, which players they are targeting and what money is available.
When in desperate need of a goal at 2-0 down to Paris Saint-Germain, Arne Slot did not fancy Mohamed Salah, a man with 255 of them for the club
What sort of player do Liverpool want?
It was a question we posed to Slot last Friday and he joked that with the way football is going, someone who could take a long throw-in would be beneficial.
But on a serious note, Liverpool have noticed that the game is evolving and they could turn to a more tricky, pacy winger that can unlock a deep defence.
Just take the last few games for the Reds. They were undone by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s mazy run for PSG’s second goal, several doses of brilliance from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo at Manchester City, and trickery from Yankuba Minteh (more on him later) at Brighton.
And then look around at the world’s best teams. Pep Guardiola used to prefer the sensible, conservative approach of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva on the wings when City won the Treble – now he wants the unorthodox styles of Cherki, Semenyo and Jeremy Doku. The best team in Europe this season are probably Bayern Munich and their attackers are similar with Luis Diaz, Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry as a trio behind Harry Kane.
‘We are aware that football has changed in England,’ Slot said last week. ‘We will always try to have our own style, but we cannot shut our eyes for the new reality.
‘And that it’s not only low blocks, it’s also set-piece after set-piece after set-piece. One of the reasons why we haven’t been successful in the first half of the season was mainly set-pieces. Yes, I’m fully involved in next season and we have these discussions as well.
‘How can we unlock a low block? Wingers are very important to unlock a low block, as we noticed last season with Mo and Luis Diaz. Replacing Mo on a one-on-one is probably impossible. So we have to find a way of making it work that the team is stronger.’
Slot insists he is part of the recruitment process – and a big change is needed with at least one forward a necessity.
Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku offer Manchester City unpredictability on the wings
Bayern Munich have been Europe’s best team this season with the likes of Luis Diaz (centre) and Michael Olise (right) buzzing around behind Harry Kane
Who may they target?
RB Leipzig’s 19-year-old wide man Yan Diomande has been followed extensively by Liverpool, according to sources. But he will not be cheap – the German side want €100m (£87.3m) – and this could put the Reds and other suitors off.
The young Ivorian has also been followed by Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich and has had an extraordinary rise. As my colleague Nathan Salt reported this week, just three years ago, Diomande was playing amateur football in the American fourth tier.
He could not afford football boots as a kid but flourished and moved to Florida without a word of English in his vocabulary after an exceptional Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool have solid relations with Leipzig having signed Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate from them in recent years. They also nearly did a deal for defender Lutsharel Geertruida – on loan at Sunderland from Leipzig – earlier this year. But the Germans will not sell Diomande on the cheap, should the Reds or any other team decide to step up their interest. Leipzig are also set to offer him a new deal with a bumper pay rise to try to convince him to stay.
Another option is Minteh at Brighton, whom Slot coached at Feyenoord. The Seagulls wide man has really stepped up in the last 18 months after joining from Newcastle in 2024. Albion paid £33m and would realistically want to double their money.
The Gambian, 21, said recently he has ‘fallen in love’ with Brighton and is settled on the south coast – but might find it tough to turn down a move to an elite side.
German reports this week have talked up Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Toure as a potential option. The Ivorian has 11 Bundesliga assists this term and the club have kept a watching brief on him but he is perhaps not the No 1 target right now.
Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao has been mentioned as an option by some reports and sources in Portugal say Liverpool have monitored him, but any talk may be driven more from the Serie A team’s side.
RB Leipzig’s 19-year-old wide man Yan Diomande (left) has been followed extensively by Liverpool
Another option is Yankuba Minteh (right) at Brighton, whom Slot coached at Feyenoord. The Seagulls wide man has really stepped up in the last 18 months
Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao (left) has been mentioned as an option by some reports and sources in Portugal say Liverpool have monitored him
Juve boss Luciano Spalletti, who coached Salah at Roma, said this week: ‘The comparison with the early Salah is appropriate. Conceicao is still a young player; he has things to learn. He needs to convince himself that he can also play more centrally.’
Given Newcastle’s reported need to sell players this year, Anthony Gordon will inevitably be linked again after nearly moving in 2024, while Liverpool will be looking at a host of other candidates.
PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo were discussed last summer.
Is anyone at the club ready to step up?
Rio Ngumoha will be expected to take further strides next year. When rumours around Barcola were swirling last summer, club officials insisted they did not want to block the pathway for Ngumoha, though Slot pushed back at those putting too much pressure on the 17-year-old this season.
The youngster has shown he is more than capable of playing a bigger role next year but the club are right to go easy on his body.
Last year’s trio of signings in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike have played just 88 minutes together this year and they will only get better next season, injuries permitting. Perhaps they will replicate Salah’s output and influence between the three of them.
Rio Ngumoha, 17, will be expected to take further strides next year
What money is available?
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told Daily Mail Sport recently that Liverpool could have a £200m black hole should they not qualify for the Champions League. They are currently fifth, enough for a Champions League spot, with seven games to go but are only one point above Chelsea and three in front of Brentford and Everton.
‘Effectively for every £1 you make in the Champions League, you probably make 22p in the Europa League and 11p in the Conference League,’ said Maguire. ‘So it really is a case of Champions League or bust as far as the finances are concerned.’
There is also the factor that potential transfer targets might not want to join if the Reds are not playing in Europe’s premier competition.
Salah defined a generation. Replacing him will lay the foundations for the next generation.
