Liverpool have £35million Salah replacement who has ‘exploded’ into life already

Jan Molby has tipped Cody Gakpo as the prime candidate to succeed Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, should their superstar forward leave this summer.

The Danish ex-midfielder, who turned out for the Reds from 1984 to 1996, believes Gakpo has demonstrated his capabilities since arriving from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 in a deal which cost an initial £35million, boasting eight goals and three assists this season alone. With Salah's contract nearing its end and no new terms agreed upon yet, Molby sees Gakpo as a viable successor.

Speaking with AceOdds, he said: "When Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo I thought he was a wide attacker and Liverpool at the time had other ideas. Maybe they were looking for a Bobby Firmino replacement.

"Someone who play in the false nine and link up play. But he's a player that wants to learn and he's eager to listen and I think he's now getting his rewards for sticking at it. He's playing as a wide attacker on the left and he's having a super season.

"He's a bit like Mohammed Salah as a goal threat. He's having a fine season. He's exploded and shown what he can produce."

If the Merseyside club is in the market for another dynamic talent, Molby pointed to Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon as an impressive option, acknowledging the significant progress in his performances.

He added: "Anthony Gordon is a terrific player and look at the improvement in his game. At Everton he was good but inconsistent. He went level up at Newcastle and has done really well. With his pace and work rate plus consistency would be great. It'd be like bringing him home. He's from the city of Liverpool so it'd be one hell of a deal."

Salah's potential departure from Anfield would leave a gaping hole in Liverpool's line-up, considering his stellar performances as one of their most reliable players. The 32-year-old forward has been nothing short of sensational this season, netting 25 goals and setting up another 16 in just 27 Premier League matches for the Reds, playing a pivotal role in their success.

Currently, Liverpool sit atop the Premier League table with an 11-point lead over Arsenal, with only 11 matches remaining. Yet, the upcoming summer could see a significant overhaul, with Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all approaching the end of their contracts without any new agreements in sight, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Van Dijk has openly shared his dedication to Liverpool, mentioning ongoing personal discussions despite the absence of a new contract, while Alexander-Arnold has been consistently linked with a move to Real Madrid, though his ultimate decision remains under wraps.

Meanwhile, Salah has recently made it clear that his priority is clinching the Premier League title rather than fretting over contract talks.

Speaking to Premier League Productions before Liverpool's impressive 2-0 victory against Manchester City, he said: "I just feel like my whole focus now is to win the Premier League. It doesn't matter if it's the last game [against City] or not the last game, we will see."

Liverpool are now setting their sights on a midweek clash with Newcastle United in the Premier League with the Toon visiting Anfield on Wednesday. That is followed by a trip to Paris to face PSG in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie next Wednesday.