£120m Star Attacker could be the ‘ideal’ Salah replacement – But Liverpool can’t sign him

Liverpool find themselves in a peculiarly bittersweet position this April. Mohamed Salah scored against Fulham on 11 April in a 2-0 home win, but the goal brought in the feeling of farewell, given that the 33-year-old recently confirmed he will leave Anfield at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Liverpool trail in their Champions League quarter-final after PSG handed them a 2-0 defeat in Paris, leaving Arne Slot’s side fighting on two fronts simultaneously, pushing for a top-five Premier League finish while bracing for a massive summer rebuild. Losing their most important player of the modern era makes the question of who comes next one of the biggest decisions the club has faced in years.

Michael Olise: Liverpool’s dream, they cannot afford to chase

Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke reported that Liverpool see Michael Olise as the ideal man to take over from Salah, though sources close to the club say a deal is almost impossible. O’Rourke, speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, put it simply that Olise is the dream signing because of the quality he delivers every week, but Bayern Munich‘s refusal to even talk about a sale makes the idea a total fantasy.

“Obviously, he would be the dream signing to replace Mohamed Salah when he leaves at the end of the season. He’s somebody they are still keen on because of the quality he has at his disposal. But it’s near impossible that Liverpool could lure Michael Olise away from Bayern Munich. He’s under contract until 2029 and playing some outstanding football. It was a world-class performance against Real Madrid in midweek. For Liverpool, it’s a bit of a pipe dream for them to sign Michael Olise due to Bayern’s unwillingness to sell him.”

Olise is under contract at the Allianz Arena until 2029, and Bayern have no reason to sell. The Frenchman’s stats this season show exactly why Liverpool want him. He scored 12 goals and recorded 18 assists in 27 Bundesliga games in 2025/26, for 30 goal involvements at a rate of 1.31 per 90 minutes.

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His non-penalty expected goals (npxG) sit at 0.67 per 90, putting his total at 15.35, which is better than 99% of players in the Bundesliga. On top of that, his expected assists of 0.68 per 90 are also in the top one per cent in Germany. (Stats via Footy Stats). Olise’s performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, which Bayern won 2-1, only proved he can do it on the biggest stage.

Can Liverpool realistically find a worthy alternative this summer?

Liverpool have a massive job on their hands trying to find someone who can match Salah’s output, let alone Olise’s. The truth is that a direct replacement just isn’t going to happen this summer, and that is the reality of losing a generational talent. Instead of wasting time and money chasing a player Bayern won’t sell, Liverpool would be better off looking for a proven, high-volume creator from a club that’s actually willing to do business, even if they aren’t a household name.

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Slot‘s system already uses wide forwards in clever ways with players like Rio Ngumoha, and a versatile signing might actually work better than a big-name star. Liverpool’s recruitment team has a great track record with smart signings, and fans have every reason to trust them, even if the dream transfer remains out of reach.