Liverpool Advised to Consider Chelsea's £58m Flop as Salah Successor
Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has put forward three potential candidates to replace the legendary Mohamed Salah at Anfield, with Chelsea's expensive disappointment Christian Pulisic among the names suggested. Salah, now 33, is widely expected to depart Liverpool this summer after what has been his least productive season in a Reds shirt.
Salah's Imminent Departure from Anfield
The Egyptian superstar has been a goal-scoring phenomenon for Liverpool, netting 25 or more goals in seven of his eight previous seasons on Merseyside. This campaign, however, has seen a dramatic decline, with Salah managing just seven goals so far. His future at the club became uncertain following critical comments about both Liverpool and manager Arne Slot in a controversial interview earlier this year.
Although clubs from Saudi Arabia showed interest during the January transfer window, Liverpool opted to retain Salah. Nevertheless, his reduced role in Slot's squad, evidenced by his substitution in Sunday's narrow victory over Nottingham Forest, makes a summer exit increasingly likely.
Heskey's Three Replacement Suggestions
As speculation about Salah's departure intensifies, Heskey has highlighted three players who could potentially fill the void left by one of Liverpool's greatest ever players. His first-choice recommendation is Paris Saint-Germain's dynamic winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while West Ham's industrious forward Jarrod Bowen also features on the list.
Most intriguingly, Heskey has pointed to Christian Pulisic as another viable option. The American international endured a challenging spell at Chelsea after the Blues paid £58 million to secure his services from Borussia Dortmund in 2019. Despite being part of Chelsea's Champions League-winning squad, Pulisic struggled to consistently impress, scoring only 26 goals in 145 appearances before being sold to AC Milan for just £20 million in 2023.
Pulisic's Potential Redemption Story
Since moving to Italy, the 27-year-old has experienced a significant revival, finding the net 42 times across the past three seasons. This resurgence has led to tentative links with a Premier League return. Heskey believes Pulisic could offer Liverpool something different and would be motivated to prove his disappointing Chelsea tenure was merely a temporary setback.
'I actually quite like Christian Pulisic,' Heskey told OLBG. 'He is very direct. He probably didn't get as many goals as I would have liked him to get at Chelsea but I thought he gave defences problems. I'm guessing he would love to show that his time at Chelsea was just a little blip. He was only a young lad when he came over.'
Liverpool's Current Situation
Liverpool's title defence has been disappointing following their ten-point Premier League triumph last season. Currently sitting sixth in the table and sixteen points behind leaders Arsenal, Slot's team would be even further adrift without Alexis Mac Allister's last-gasp winner against Nottingham Forest. The Reds will aim to strengthen their top-four aspirations when they face relegation-threatened West Ham next weekend.
Heskey emphasized that replacing a player of Salah's caliber is exceptionally challenging, noting that most alternatives would represent a downgrade. However, he suggested that tactical adjustments under Slot might necessitate a different type of player altogether, potentially making candidates like Bowen or Pulisic more suitable for a reformed system.
