- Mo Salah is in the last six months of his contract and is free to talk to foreign clubs
- Salah would be difficult to replace, but Michael Owen thinks he knows the perfect man
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! Is Everton where they deserve to be or are the club's fans deceived?
Michael Owen has identified who Liverpool should sign as Mo Salah's replacement should the Egyptian star leave Anfield this summer.
Salah is in the final six months of his contract and has been free to talk to foreign clubs since the beginning of this month.
The saga has not hindered the 32-year-old's form as he has registered 21 goals and 17 assists so far this season to lead Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and Champions League.
If Liverpool were to allow their all-time Premier League top scorer to leave in the summer, any replacement would find themselves with huge shoes to fill.
But Owen, who scored 118 Premier League goals for the club, believes he has found a man capable of the task.
Antoine Semenyo has been in good form for Bournemouth this season, scoring seven goals, including one against Chelsea on Tuesday night that caught the eye of Owen.
Antoine Semenyo scores his seventh goal of the season against Chelsea on Tuesday night
Michael Owen believes Semenyo has what it takes to fill Mo Salah's shoes at Anfield
Mo Salah is in the last six months of his contract and is free to talk to foreign clubs
“He's a brilliant player,” Owen said. Premier League productions.
“He scores goals and we don't know if Mohamed Salah will stay or leave, but if he leaves, Semenyo should be his replacement.”
Owen's comments don't come out of the blue, with the Ghanaian forward being linked with a move to Anfield earlier in the week.
The echo of the north reported that Liverpool's Ben Doak, currently on loan at Middlesbrough, could be used as part of a package to bring Semenyo to Anfield, with Bournemouth said to admire the 19-year-old.
Semenyo joined Bournemouth in January 2023 for £10.25m from Bristol City and has since scored 16 goals for the Cherries.
Liverpool's search for a striker has widened with their long-term target, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, set to join rivals Manchester City in a £67million deal.
A more immediate concern for coach Arne Slot will be to reverse a short slump in which his side have won just one game in their last four, including Tuesday night's 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Next up for Liverpool is a tricky trip to Brentford on Saturday before their attention turns to the Champions League, where they host Lille on Tuesday night.