Liverpool's Mohamed Salah replacement could already be at the club amid contract uncertainty
Liverpool could already have a suitable Mohamed Salah replacement should the Egyptian leave at the end of the season.
The Reds winger is out of contract at the end of the campaign and it appears little has been done to avoid an unthinkable exit from Anfield next summer, with uncertainty over his future continuing to rumble on.
As things stand, it's been widely reported that Salah is keen to extend his stay at the club and remains content and settled on Merseyside, yet the Reds are stalling over handing the 32-year-old a new bumper contract given his age and financial demands.
READ MORE: Federico Chiesa breaks silence on Liverpool debut as Darwin Nunez makes cryptic social media update
READ MORE: Arne Slot reveals Federico Chiesa plan for Bournemouth after Liverpool debut
But should the worst come to the worst and Salah departs on a free transfer next summer, then there may already be a suitable candidate at the club who is ready to step up and fill the major void set to be left by the Egyptian.
Italian winger Federico Chiesa has had to be patient since securing his summer switch from Juventus but finally made his Reds bow with a short cameo in the 3-1 defeat of AC Milan in midweek. With more regular minutes expected for the 26-year-old in the coming weeks, he has the opportunity to really find his feet at Anfield.
With this in mind, former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes Chiesa could prove his worth as Salah's back-up throughout the remainder of the season, before taking over from him at right-wing on a permanent basis for the 2025-26 campaign.
Speaking to Betfred, via the Liverpool ECHO, he said: "He’s come to the club with a slight injury, so I think they’re protecting him a little bit at the moment. Once he gets over this injury and is match-fit, then I believe he will help this team big time.
“He’s a player that works his socks off, charges around and a lot of the lads at Liverpool do that already, so he’ll fit in just fine.”
When asked whether Chiesa could be a long-term replacement for Salah, Johnson said: “Yes. You don’t want Mo to leave, but with Chiesa there already and if Eberechi Eze was also to come in next summer, then they’d both be very good options if Mo departs.”
Liverpool vs Bournemouth LIVE: Darwin Nunez hint, Alisson injury latest, team news and live stream
Liverpool transfer news as Florian Wirtz 'wants to leave' and Arne Slot may hold key to $89m star
Chiesa, who made a name for himself as one of the standouts for Italy during its Euro 2020 success three years ago, is likely to play second-fiddle to Salah throughout the majority of the campaign, settling for the odd start here and there, with the majority expected to come in cup competitions.
But even with various injury issues hampering his campaign with Juventus last season, he still contributed with 10 goals and three assists for the Serie A giants. In a much better team under Arne Slot, there is plenty of reason to suggest he could be capable of heavily improving those numbers.
Furthermore, Chiesa's coaches and teammates at Liverpool have already been impressed by his work ethic and start to life in first-team training on Merseyside, suggesting Reds fans could be about to witness a whole lot of good from the Italian once he really gets going at Anfield this season.