Liverpool Cast a Wide Net in Bold Hunt to Find Their Next Mohamed Salah

As Liverpool look to find a successor for Mohamed Salah, the reigning Premier League champions are said to be eyeing targets ranging from West Ham United's experienced skipper Jarrod Bowen to Monaco's dynamic young talent Maghnes Akliouche.

Salah's departure will leave a massive hole in Liverpool's attacking line. Given his reduced impact since penning a contract extension last April, the Reds have already felt the difficulty of winning matches without the Egyptian star performing at his lethal peak.

Even factoring in this season, which has been comfortably the weakest of Salah's nine-year stint at Anfield, the clinical forward has averaged a Premier League goal or assist every 92 minutes for Liverpool. For context, Manchester City's extraordinary striker Erling Haaland is the only regular in the league who can match that remarkable output this term.

Across Europe's top five leagues, just eight players have averaged one direct goal contribution per game. The members of this exclusive group are either unavailable for transfer (Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Haaland), beyond Liverpool's financial reach (Michael Olise, Lautaro Martínez), or have already had a stint on Merseyside (Luis Díaz).

It will likely require a combination of several players to replicate Salah's prolific best, but Liverpool could bolster their attack by securing the finest right winger within their reach. The club's pursuit has led them down several fascinating avenues.

Liverpool One of 'Three Contenders' to Sign Jarrod Bowen

Liverpool are anticipated to compete with Everton and Newcastle United for Bowen's services should West Ham suffer relegation, according to the Daily Mail.

The Reds are said to have a longstanding interest in the versatile attacker, who was strongly linked with a move to Anfield during Jürgen Klopp's tenure. Bowen stayed at the London Stadium, earning the club captaincy through a string of impressively consistent seasons despite West Ham's varying collective results. The England international has registered double figures for Premier League goals or assists in each of the past three seasons, a feat only four other players can claim.

Bowen would represent a departure from Liverpool's transfer philosophy. The Reds have not recruited a player as old as 29 since Thiago Alcántara arrived in the summer of 2020, and the Spaniard's persistent injury troubles undermined his four seasons on Merseyside.

Nevertheless, Liverpool's recent success has been built on signings from within the Premier League. The likes of Sadio Mané, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez were all recruited from fellow English clubs and arrived with the assurance of understanding the league's demands.

'Almost Certain'—Maghnes Akliouche Poised for Monaco Exit

Maghnes Akliouche checks all the boxes that Bowen does not. Five years younger than his fellow left-footed right winger, the France international is also expected to come at a lower price than West Ham's captain. L'Équipe have placed Akliouche's value at approximately $58.9 million, describing his departure from Monaco this summer as "almost certain."

The former Tottenham Hotspur target is reportedly on Liverpool's radar, and it is easy to see why.

While nothing truly prepares a player for the rigours of the Premier League like competing in it, Ligue 1 is undeniably the closest physical equivalent to England's top flight.

After a sluggish opening to the campaign as he adjusted to the demands of representing France for the first time in his developing career, Akliouche has flourished in the second half of the season. Since late February, the 24-year-old has been directly involved in seven goals across Monaco's nine fixtures.

Akliouche's strengths shine both on and off the ball—something even Salah struggled to offer during Liverpool's title-winning campaign. The tireless worker without possession has earned the admiration of his manager Sébastien Pocognoli (and reportedly Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique) for his work rate as much as his technical ability.

"If you have a player like that who puts in so much defensive effort—not just tracking back, but also pushing forward—since he is the one who wins back the most balls high up the pitch in Ligue 1, it means he is a unique and modern player," Pocognoli enthused earlier this season.