Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has reportedly made his last transfer request known to the club’s board, expressing his desire to secure a successor for Mo Salah in the starting lineup. Klopp, who will step down from his role at the end of the current season, revealed this heartfelt decision on Friday.
The announcement from Klopp, celebrated as one of Liverpool’s most successful managers for guiding the team to four major European finals, Premier League, and Champions League titles, has reverberated throughout the football community worldwide.
With Salah’s contract at Anfield set to expire in the summer of 2025 and persistent interest from Al-Ittihad, speculation mounts that this season could mark the Egyptian’s farewell to Merseyside. Should Salah depart, Liverpool would face a significant void in their lineup, considering his remarkable contributions since his £36.9 million arrival from Roma in 2017, boasting an impressive tally of 204 goals in 332 games.
Emerging as Liverpool’s top choice to fill Salah’s shoes is Takefusa Kubo, as reported by Teamtalk. The Japanese winger, currently plying his trade at Real Sociedad, has enjoyed a stellar season, notching six goals and four assists across 21 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League. Real Sociedad’s qualification for the Champions League knockout stage, where they are set to face PSG, underscores Kubo’s burgeoning talent.
While Kubo’s statistics may not mirror Salah’s, sources from Spain suggest that Klopp views him as the most similar option to Salah among the wingers under consideration. With a reasonable release clause of €60 million (£51 million) in Kubo’s contract, Liverpool could feasibly secure his services.
