Jamie Carragher absolutely loves player Liverpool want to sign to replace Mohamed Salah
Liverpool are planning for a future where Mohamed Salah will no longer be running down the right wing.
Although the summer transfer window is closed, a window in which the Reds spent £446million on new players, Tottenham have joined Liverpool in the race to sign Nathan Collins.
Signing a centre-back is the priority for the Merseysiders, and Liverpool are big fans of Maxence Lacroix, even after coming ever so close to signing Marc Guehi on deadline day.
Football Insider transfer correspondent Peter O’Rourke says that Liverpool have targeted Michael Olise as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, while Bayern Munich are preparing a new contract for Olise to ward off any interest.
Jamie Carragher said Michael Olise could play for “anyone”
In May 2024, Jamie Carragher was joined by former Aston Villa and Manchester United star Ashley Young to discuss how good Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze are. The former got his move to Bayern Munich that summer, while Arsenal recently signed the latter for £67.5m.
Now, with Liverpool beginning long-term planning for a future without Salah, it would appear as though Olise is a major target.
“You look at the performance tonight for the two of them and I think they could almost play for anyone in this league I really do,” the former Liverpool defender explained.
“There’s talk of Manchester United having Olise as their top target and you could understand why.
“We always used to go to Wilfried Zaha and he was always the one we spoke about when they played, and he was fantastic for Palace, maybe the best player they’ve had in the Premier League, but I actually think these two are better.
“I hope they both stay because I love watching them play. These are two players who can play Champions League football.”
How does Olise compare to Mohamed Salah?
Salah is the best right winger in the history of the Premier League, so there isn’t really a like-for-like swap for the Egyptian. Salah’s drop-off this season is a major concern, however, especially after he signed a club-record contract last season.
At 33, though, his time at the club is coming towards a close one way or another, and Olise would be a sensational replacement given his form for Bayern Munich and, before that, at Crystal Palace.
The season before Olise joined Bayern, he was in superb form before taking his game to a whole new level with the Germans. Now, he seems ready to take the place of Salah at Anfield in the next couple of seasons.
| Statistic | Mohamed Salah | Michael Olise |
| Games | 52 | 55 |
| Goals | 34 | 20 |
| Assists | 23 | 23 |
| Shot-Creating Actions (per 90) | 3.8 | 6.56 |
| Key Passes (per 90) | 2.07 | 2.93 |
| Touches (per 90) | 45 | 76 |
| Successful Take-Ons (per 90) | 1.16 | 2.53 |
| Fouls drawn | 0.89 | 2.33 |
In the twilight of his career, Salah’s game has become all about output. While the ‘Egyptian King’ is by no means slow, his game is no longer predicated on his explosive pace and more geared towards playmaking and seizing on goalscoring opportunities when they present themselves.
Olise, on the other hand, is 10 years younger, and the data shows that he is far better at beating his man and, somewhat surprisingly, makes more key passes per game. Overall, he also makes more shot-creating actions for himself and teammates.
Under contract until 2029, it’s going to be difficult to pry him from Bayern, but it would be worth the effort, especially if Salah leaves in 2026 or 2027.