Life after Salah - why Isak and Wirtz must step up for Liverpool
Liverpool are preparing to begin a season without Mohamed Salah for the first time in a decade - but they haven't replaced him yet. This is why.
When Liverpool's season kicks off next Sunday, Mohamed Salah will not be representing the club in Newcastle as he has moved to Trabzonspor in Turkey. Since 2015, Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino together scored 488 goals for Liverpool, with Salah alone scoring a record 10 goals on the opening matchday. With Salah now playing elsewhere, Cody Gakpo is the top goal scorer for Liverpool this season with 50 goals.
The German striker Alexander Isak, 26, and the young Dutch winger Florian Wirtz, 23, are expected to step up and take on more responsibility. Isak netted only four goals in his first season at Anfield after joining for a British record £125m transfer. The attacking lineup will also see the return of Virgil van Dijk's captaincy, with captain Virgil van Dijk stating that the squad needs to perform well on all fronts to be successful.
Liverpool have not made any major signings yet, but a deal for PSG's Bradley Barcola, who is open to a move to Liverpool, is being sought. The club will be looking for a pacy, direct option capable of playing on both wings and breaking down low blocks.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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