"Replacing the irreplaceable": How will life without Mohamed Salah look like for Liverpool?

The Egyptian king's reign at Anfield is coming to an end after nearly a decade. (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, license details)

Mohammed Salah has announced that he will leave Liverpool at the end of this season. This is the day every Liverpool fan had wished not to see in their lifetime, but here we are as the ‘Egyptian King’ is set to leave Anfield after a glittering nine-year spell.

Salah’s departure from Merseyside isn't just a player leaving; it is the departure of one of the greatest ever players to have played for Liverpool.

For nearly a decade, mostly under Jurgen Klopp, Mo Salah has been the heartbeat of the Liverpool attack and has comfortably been one of the most consistent performers in world football.

When the Egyptian international arrived at the club in 2017 from AS Roma, he was labelled as a ‘Chelsea flop', and no one expected him to revive his career in Merseyside. Fast forward to this day; he leaves not only as one of the greatest Liverpool players but also as one of the greatest players to have graced the Premier League. Hence, football fans have given him the nickname 'The Egyptian King’.

Salah didn't just score goals for Liverpool; he delivered match-winning performances on his own, deciding games at his will. Season after season he delivered 20-plus goals in the league and in the Champions League. His sheer pace, dribbling skills and ruthless finishing made him a complete demon for the opposition defenders.

He maintained the same level and consistency for almost a decade, which is quite rare for players and is only a sign of his greatness. He delivered Liverpool their sixth Champions League title and also the club's long wait for their first Premier League title.

Salah leaves the club as their third-highest goalscorer ever, having scored 255 goals in 435 appearances so far. His goalscoring numbers were not the only thing that cemented his legacy at the club. He was a massive part of Jurgen Klopp’s long-term Liverpool rebuild that saw them rise to great heights once again after a rough period.

Under the German, the Reds' attack was structured upon Salah; he formed one of the deadliest partnerships with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right flank, and his presence also benefitted the Reds' relentless gegenpressing tactics. He wasn't just a star player for Liverpool; the team revolved around him for almost a decade.

The Egyptian cemented his legacy at Liverpool and also revolutionised the way football views wingers as before. He possessed creativity, had pace and could also play as a striker naturally because of his exceptional ability to find space in behind the opposition defence and burst through ruthlessly. Very few players have been able to perform such a role with such a high level of consistency, and that just shows the level of the ‘Egyptian King'.

It wasn't meant to end this way for Mo Salah?: Did Arne Slot make the decision to let go of the Egyptian?

Almost all legendary players end their careers at a top club when they're far from their peak, but it wasn't the same case with Mohamed Salah. The manner in which he leaves Liverpool is questionable, and it could've been handled a lot better by the Merseyside club. Arne Slot's arrival has played a key role, as his tactics were a huge shift from Klopp's tactics.

While the German preferred relentless chaotic gegenpressing football, the Dutchman introduced a more controlling and possession-based structure similar to that of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. It did work in the first season, but in this season his tactics have been a huge let down for a player of Salah’s calibre.

At Slot's system Salah had to maintain his position and had to constantly rotate with other players, and it snatched his freedom, which he used to get under Jurgen Klopp. Unlike previously, where the system revolved around him, under Slot he wasn't the focal point of the Reds' attack. Instead, he got teamed up with new players, and it has been difficult for him to adapt to the new signings.

Arne Slot had dropped Mo Salah for four consecutive games just before the 2025/26 AFCON. (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, license details)

On a long-term basis, the Dutch manager's ideas seemed to be fine, but friction started to appear when the Liverpool boss started to take tough decisions which didn't sit well with the players and the fans. The Egyptian was benched in key fixtures in the Premier League and the Champions League, and there were even reports of a constant rift between the player and the manager.

Once, he had even come out and lashed out at Arne Slot over not starting him in games just before he left the squad for AFCON in January. Although that matter was later resolved, there is still a clash of egos between the duo.

However, it shouldn't have ended like this, especially with him needing to cut his contract short, which he had signed just last year, and leave the club on a free transfer. Last year after winning his second Premier League title as a player, he renewed his contract until 2027, posting a video of him sitting on a throne at Anfield.

Fans and pundits had speculated this thing would happen eventually after the rift between Slot and Salah back in January. At that time, the club had penalised him for that interview by just not picking him in the squad that travelled to Inter Milan in the Champions League.

An impossible task!: How can Liverpool replace the greatness of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool?

Since Mohammed Salah is set on leaving Liverpool, Arne Slot would be tasked with finding a potential replacement for the Egyptian who would be able to deliver the same numbers that he has been delivering for the club. It is easy to replace players, but when the player is Mo Salah, it becomes an uphill task immediately.

Salah has been Liverpool's primary goalscorer and creator and has been a leader on the pitch given his experience. Finding a replacement for the 32-year-old is quite impossible, and it'll be an uphill task for Arne Slot. Players who can score 20+ goals in a single season are rare, and doing it consistently for nine seasons is even more rare for players nowadays. Even one of the best in Europe failed to bag such numbers.

How can Liverpool replace the irreplaceable? (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, license details)

Such players upon whom one can build a tactical system are rare, and therefore Liverpool cannot expect one signing to replicate what Salah did at the club. Instead, the club has to move on from him and focus on fixing the other problems in the team and distribute his contribution across the team, which would benefit the Liverpool boss.

Without Salah and Alexander-Arnold now, Liverpool will finally change their right-wing-centric approach in attack, and they have to shift more centrally in their attacking patterns and become much better in vertical movement up the pitch.

However, without him, they would miss his incredible single-handed match-winning moments, as he could produce a banger goal out of nothing. The team has to switch to more of a collective effort, relying on their midfield, just like what FC Barcelona had done following the departure of Lionel Messi.

Liverpool have a lot of work to do in the transfer window this summer, as they will definitely need to sign a good winger to fill in the primary void left by Salah. Slot had to structure his attacking lineup in a collective-centric system and not rely on just one winger to create an offensive move up front. Liverpool will definitely head into a brief transition period now, which would be a period of uncertainty.

For nearly the past decade, the Reds have blindly trusted Salah, and he has delivered. Now, they must get over it and navigate a future without that guarantee of goals. Replacing the ‘Egyptian King’ is next to impossible, but instead they have to reshape the team to get back to their best.