Liverpool have a Bundesliga striker in their sights as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah.
After much speculation about his future, Salah signed a two-year extension in April, one that could potentially keep him at the club until 2027, but many pundits believe, as in the summer and last summer, that the fantastic goalscorer is in his final season.
Liverpool went into the international break as the only one in the Premier League with a full score after three games.
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Salah, who secured his fourth Golden Boot last season and was recently named PFA’s Player of the Year for a record third time, has scored 187 Premier League goals (the same as Andrew Cole in 4th place) for Liverpool since joining the club in 2017.
However, the two-time Premier League winner will be 35 years old when his current contract expires, and Liverpool have reportedly identified his replacement.
As reported by The Mirror, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise is one of the names on Liverpool’s radar screen if Salah leaves the club.
The Frenchman has a history in the Premier League, having played for Crystal Palace for three seasons between 2021-22 and 2023-24 before transferring to the German giants in a deal worth up to €60 million (£52 million).
Olise (23) scored 12 Bundesliga goals in 34 games, and his total in all competitions reached 20 goals in 55 games in his 2024-25 debut season.
The reported Liverpool goal has started the new season strongly, with two goals in Bayern’s 6-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig in week one, and also scored in the 3-2 Bayer derby win against Augsburg.
However, any transfer for Olise is complicated by the Bundesliga club having the advantage in negotiations, especially considering that the France international signed a five-year contract in 2024.
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While Salah’s improvement in play was impressive last season – the Liverpool player assisted 18 goals and created 27 big chances – the Liverpool legend has been recognised for his goalscoring since his return to English football.
Olise, on the other hand, is undoubtedly a creative genius, with the Frenchman’s dribbling ability and creativity from wide or inside right positions being key aspects of his game.
Olise may have scored double figures in goals last season, but his 15 assists and 32 big chances underline his tendency to create more than find himself in goal-scoring situations.
Strikingly, according to Fbref, Olise ranks in the 98th percentile for shots created per 90 among attacking midfielders and wingers, while Salah ranks in the 69th percentile for the same metric, which highlights the players’ different profiles.
