How do you replace Mohamed Salah? That’s a question Liverpool will certainly be asking itself already, even if it hopes to delay actually implementing its plan for at least another year.
Nor is it a foregone conclusion that Liverpool will agree to sell Salah next summer. That seems to be the prevailing narrative — and there’s no doubt that Al-Ittihad could table a tempting offer for a player who will be 32 by then. But for as long as he is still Jürgen Klopp’s talisman, what makes sense on paper may not add up on the pitch.
That difference-making quality is the main thing Liverpool will ultimately need to replace. It’s not so much about finding someone for the Salah role — tactics can change — but about sourcing a player who can carry the club’s ambitions on his back, with the same kind of inevitable aura that Lionel Messi boasted at Barcelona (and has since rediscovered for Inter Miami).
There can be little doubt that Salah is still that player, after all. He just made it 10 straight games of goal contributions in the Premier League, the most since his own run of 15 matches a couple of years ago. He is a reliably decisive presence.
Previous large transfer fees are not a guaranteed marker of quality. Liverpool knows that more than most, with its sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona still the third-biggest of all time. But signing number four on that list might just give Klopp a chance of replicating that star quality.
João Félix has seen his reputation dip significantly since making the $135m (£108m/€126m) move from Benfica to Atlético Madrid. Always a little on the fringes of Diego Simeone’s plans, he is onto his second loan move, joining Barcelona in a temporary switch on the final day of the transfer window.
His first move, a six-month stint at Chelsea, hardly set the world alight. That being said, Félix was operating in a pretty dysfunctional side, and his four goals were ultimately enough to place him third on the club’s list of top scorers, despite only arriving in January.
This Barcelona spell will prove decisive for his reputation. Signing a new Atlético Madrid contract before heading to the Nou Camp, his market value could bounce back with a strong season under Xavi, but flattering to deceive again would leave him at an all-time low.
Whatever happens, there’s no guarantee that Barcelona will make the move permanent. There is no obligation or even option in the contract.
Barcelona spent another summer trying to maneuver through financial issues, leaving it late to register a slew of new signings once again. Even if Félix does do well, affording him could be an altogether different proposition.
That’s where Liverpool could enter. According to Mundo Deportivo, Klopp’s side was one of a number whom Félix snubbed this summer in order to make his ‘dream’ move — he met all proposals with a ‘no, thank you’, preferring to wait for Barcelona.
The report also makes the outlandish claim that Liverpool offered fellow Benfica alumnus Darwin Núñez in a swap deal for Félix. That’s clearly not the case, but it’s far more believable that there was some interest from Anfield in the Portuguese star.
Clearly, he will never be a direct heir to Salah. Unlike the majority of modern-day attackers, Félix has very rarely been used out wide, with his profile very much suited to a role through the middle. When he has drifted, it has generally been to the left, where he can cut inside on his stronger right foot.
But whether Liverpool looks to him as a bargain after another underwhelming season or as the marquee name after a revival at Barcelona, there’s a chance Félix could become a very important figure in Klopp’s next great side. He has shown his star quality in glimpses, and is waiting for the right manager to unlock it.
Simeone never looked like the right fit, and conditions were certainly not favorable at Chelsea. Still only 23, there is plenty of time for the wonderkid to re-emerge.
Klopp, the man who helped make Roberto Firmino one of the most revered forwards in the world, is perfect for the job. The presence of the aforementioned Núñez means that Félix would not inherit that exact same false nine role, but his skill-set means he could be exceptional in some capacity at Liverpool.
After all, he sits in the 96th percentile of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles per 90 over the last year (FBref). Despite that, Lionel Messi is his statistically most similar player: Félix is a creative phenomenon who presses as well, making him the dream Klopp attacker in many ways.
How would a system with Félix and without Salah look? It’s not entirely clear, although perhaps a return to the 4-2-3-1 Klopp favored at Borussia Dortmund would be most likely. There, he made Mario Götze one of the best around, and the Portugal international could occupy a similar role as something between a number 10 and a second striker. Again, Messi has thrived in those same spaces.
In front of him, Núñez would be freed up by his partner doing all the dirty work. On the left, Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz would compete for a spot, while Dominik Szoboszlai could return to the narrow right-sided position he occupied for long stretches at RB Leipzig. Diogo Jota would provide flexible cover across all of the roles.
The notion of a ‘Messi who presses’ in the hands of Xavi and Barcelona for a season is a daunting prospect, and one that suggests Félix could even be out of Liverpool’s reach by the time Salah needs to be replaced. But the nature of the loan means that the wildcard option remains on the table — and Klopp has an even better chance of making him the world-beater he has long promised to become.
