Liverpool told to replace Salah with three players after the forward admits deal is ‘far away’

Danny Murphy reckons Liverpool should replace Mohamed Salah with Real Madrid forward Rodrygo or “two players” if he leaves Anfield.

The Reds are leading the Premier League by eight points from second-placed Nottingham Forest, who they have a game in hand one, while Arsenal are a further point behind but have played the same amount of matches as the Reds.

Everything is pretty rosy at Liverpool with Arne Slot having a dream start to his tenure at Anfield after replacing Reds great Jurgen Klopp in the summer.

However, the contract situations of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk could become a distraction with all three players failing to agree new contracts with their deals expiring in the summer.

Salah, who already has 30 goal contributions in the Premier League this season, has been in incredible form but admitted on Sunday that he wasn’t close to a new deal.

Asked about his future following the victory over West Ham, Salah told Sky Sports: “No, we are far away from that [contract] and I don’t want to put anything in the media.

“The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that.

“I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There is a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy reckons the Reds will sort Salah’s contract sooner or later but he has ideas in mind for replacements if the Egyptian’s demands are “ridiculously unrealistic”.

Murphy told MyBettingSites.co.uk: “I think it’s really important that they do everything they can to keep him for another couple of years. He looks fit, he lives a good life. I don’t see a drop off physically if he stays. He wants to break records.

“For me, from all the conversations and interviews I’ve seen him in, it feels like he wants to stay.

“Yes there should be a succession plan of course. The recruitment team at any big club should always be looking forward to who might be next, to fill those shoes.

“The only reason I would say not to sign him is if his demands are so ridiculous and so high that it’s unrealistic and goes against the club’s philosophy and then causes problems with other players’ negotiations.

“I’ve got a good feeling that it’ll be sorted out. All the noises are good. The impact he has on the team, the fans love, the role model he is to other players at the club. It just seems silly to not find a resolution unless it’s ridiculously unrealistic. I think it’ll get done.”

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On potential replacements, Murphy added:”Semenyo’s potentially a very good player. I think there’s only two ways of replacing Salah really – one is to get someone who you think is potentially going to be as effective. There’s not many of those out there.

“Maybe if you could get Rodrygo from Real Madrid, or someone like that who’s got this wonderful ability and talent to beat people and score goals. Even he hasn’t got the numbers that Salah gets.

“If they can’t get someone who’s already playing at the top level in the Champions League, winning trophies and being successful, then I think you’re probably better by bringing in two players.”

Murphy continued: “The other option is to replace him with two players.

“I think the young boy at Southampton looks like a superstar. Tyler Dibling. Quick,strong, good left foot, likes playing on the right, comes inside.

“If someone in the Premier League, playing at the top of his game and deserves to be playing at a higher level, I would probably put Jarrod Bowen ahead of Semenyo. I think he’s more reliable, more experienced, more of a goal threat and I think he’d thrive in a better team. He’s a wonderful finisher, he’s quick, his link up play is good.

“That would probably be the way I’d go. I’d go for someone who’s established in the Premier League and then a younger one to be competitive rather than getting one to replace Salah.”

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