23 January 2024 , 20:22
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It is a moment that Liverpool will never truly be able to prepare for and one many Reds supporters may not want to countenance but there will be a day where Mo Salah no longer graces Anfield.
The Egyptian forward is bound by AFCON duty and currently out with a hamstring injury for a rare absence from Jurgen Klopp's side. With his resilience and talent there has been little reason to excuse him on his way to 204 goals and 88 assists in 332 appearances.
It was not too long ago his departure felt possible however, as his contract first ran down before the Saudi Pro League looked to bring temptation. Al-Ittihad offered a reported £150million but Liverpool were not swayed.
Salah once again has 18 months left on his deal, and with the winger already 31, player and club will be tested. The former Chelsea and Roma star has shown no sign of slowing down but there will be a point where parties separate.
Once again the Middle East could look to force the break-up as Saudi Pro League clubs look to target Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Son Heung-min according to reports. There is a prospect of a £2bn warchest for clubs to take advantage of.
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However, Michael Owen believes that his former club may have little to fear and already have someone who can take the burden of responsibility from Salah. The ex-England international believes Darwin Nunez can be a force in the Premier League.
He said: “Núñez is a player that has divided opinion. I think he’s very raw in some of his play, but I also think he’s exceptional in some of his play.
Darwin Nunez scored twice in Liverpool's 4-0 win over Bournemouth.“When you think of Liverpool for the future, it’s obviously not going to be with [Mohamed] Salah forever so somebody’s going to have to step up, or they’re going to have to replace him with someone that’s going to try and replace his goals.
“This guy [Núñez] is probably the one guy in the team that’s got the scope to be able to do that, I see him developing into an absolute force in the Premier League. I still think he could go the other way, I still think he’s not the full package yet, but he does things that absolutely blow your mind.
“He’s so strong, he’s so direct, he’s so quick and he’s got so much ability, if he can just brush up in certain areas he could be the real deal.”