Ex-Liverpool star Glen Johnson believes that his former side should look to part ways with Mohamed Salah this summer as they already have his replacement on the books. The Egypt international is the subject of immense interest from the Saudi Pro League, with several sides set to table offers for his services.
Salah rebuffed interest from the Middle East last summer but speculation is growing that he could be tempted to make the move now. The winger would become one of the highest-paid players in the Saudi Pro League and quickly become one of the faces of their project.
With Jurgen Klopp departing at the end of the season and Salah running into the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield, this summer could represent an opportunity for the ex-Roma star to leave Liverpool amicably and ensure that they receive a fair fee for his services.
Johnson is among those who believe that the Reds should consider accepting an offer in the region of £70mllion for the 31-year-old. He told Betfred: “It’s a tough one because you’re never going to replace him, but you’ve got a better chance of doing so with £70 million in the bank and you wouldn’t want him to leave the club on a free.
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“He’s going to be a year older next season, so I think it would be sensible to allow him to leave in the summer if they’re offered big money for him, even though seeing him leave would be heartbreaking.
“£70 million would allow them to invest in the squad for next season and unfortunately, he’s not going to keep doing what he’s doing forever. Every year from now, his value will decrease and that’s down to his age, not his ability. If they get the right money for him, then it may be the right time to let him leave.”
Several stars have been linked with replacing Salah over the summer, including Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane. However, Johnson believes that Harvey Elliott warrants serious consideration from the higher powers at Liverpool when weighing up whether they should fork out a significant fee on a new forward.
He continued: “Somebody’s going to certainly get an opportunity to replace him, so it could mean more game time for Harvey Elliott. To compare Mo to any other player in the world is almost impossible, so it’s not about replacing him, it’s about moving on and trying to do the next best thing really. Harvey’s been fantastic this season, but is he going to get you twenty goals a season? Probably not, but he’s a player that will help somebody else to get twenty.”
