The slot puts forward the £60m “star” who could be the heir to Liverpool's dream Salah

Nothing is certain in football but it seems possible that Mohamed Salah will work at the front of the new era for Liverpool under the leadership of Arne Slot next season.

The revered Egyptian has been one of Europe's most lethal strikers for the past seven years, and while he enters the final year of his contract on Merseyside and remains interested in the Saudi Pro League, the 31-year-old, according to David Ornsteinhe is expected to stay for “at least another campaign”, and “his contract will be reviewed later”.

It's a good thing too. With Jurgen Klopp's reign over, it could be dangerous to lose his long-time talisman at the same time. He retired at the end of the 2023/24 campaign but Salah still scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions.

However, there will come a time when Salah will no longer be worth his trade at Anfield, so it makes sense that FSG are moving smartly to sign a new striker this summer.

Liverpool are lining up a replacement for Salah

According to Leeds Live, Liverpool have withdrawn from the race to sign the Leeds United winger despite appearing as the frontrunners, leaving Chelsea very clear that they have acquired the powerful Dutchman.

Why is this important? However, according to the report, Liverpool's decision to end their interest has seen 'significant' focus on Crystal Palace's Michael Olise, who has a £60m release clause in his contract and is one of the Premier League's most wanted players after the game. an unusually good season.

The right winger, aged 22, is also being chased by the Blues and Manchester United, but Liverpool are the only players said to boast Champions League football, with the on-field and financial benefits leaving Slot and FSG in a promising position.

Michael Olise's season by the numbers

Few Premier League players can boast of better seasons than Olise, who managed to emerge as one of the brightest stars despite his injury-riddled year which saw him start just 14 games.

Anyway. Olise managed to go beyond the highlights of last season – he scored only two goals but provided 11 assists in 37 Premier League games – to strengthen and hone his skills and leave the big names at the club confused with dreams of his signature.

According to Sofascore, the £100k-a-week player has scored ten goals and provided six assists from 19 total appearances, creating nine big chances and averaging 1.9 key passes, 2.1 dribbles and 5.7 wins. duels per game to emphasize his versatility.

In addition, he is ranked among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wing players in all the top five leagues in Europe in the last year to enter and allowed 90, according to FBref, emphasizing the rounded game that will work for Liverpool and Slot more.

As Palace went from strength to strength under Oliver Glasner in 2024, so did Olise deepen the argument that, yes, he is one of the best players in the Premier League, a credit to Selhurst Park and a future world-beater at the Premier League summit. the game.

Pundit Micah Richards said this season “he's going to be world class… he's going to be a star”. Olise is the real deal and would be the perfect end to Salah's replacement, although it would be great if Slot could use these feats in tandem next year.

How can Olise replace Salah

Olise doesn't seem to have the same goalscoring rate as Salah, but, with ten goals in just 14 Premier League starts this season, it's hard to argue with his ability to lift the crowd to their seats with consistency and quality. .

However, Olise has outperformed his xG (expected goals) in England's top flight this term, with an expected strike return of 5.69, according to Understat.

Salah, on the other hand, has underperformed his xG in four of the last five Premier League campaigns, despite being universally acknowledged as one of football's elite finishers. Why is this?

However, Salah may be a brilliant shooter but the real source of his strength comes from his impeccable, always alert, always hungry position. He ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and full-backs in Europe's top five leagues in the past year for attacking penalty area touches and the top 2% for shots taken per 90, FBref records.

The Egyptian is a born goalscorer. It's the heart and soul of his skill set. Olise, however, may have reaped the best goalscoring awards this year but he is not that type of player, rather he brings a smart and healthy approach to his football.

But that's okay. Slot likes wings. They are very important to his building performance and game-winning performance. Just trying to replace Salah with someone who can provide the same shooting success would be building on a house of cards, but Olise will offer a modified, more suitable talent set to lead a new chapter, led by a new coach.

A warning of a potential deal is the France U21 international's record of fatigue, with sidelined players of top pedigree something Liverpool fans have been frustrated by over the last few years, but if Olise can get past this Achilles. with a heel, he would have been one of the best players in Europe.

Therefore, Liverpool must pull no punches in their quest to sign the perfect Salah replacement. Perfect and forever shooting, few are more exciting than Olise.