5 potential replacements for Mohamed Salah if he leaves Liverpool

The Egyptian is the best player in the Premier League this season and his performances attracted interest from clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both the clubs are ready to go toe-to-toe against each other for his signature and we are likely to see a lot of drama surrounding his transfer in the summer.

Liverpool always found it difficult to keep hold of their star players like Phillipe Coutinho, Luis Suarez, and Micheal Owen when the Spanish giants came calling for them.

There is no doubt that Mohamed Salah will massively improve the team that he joins but, at the same time, his departure will leave a huge void in the Liverpool squad.

Right on this note, here is a list of five players that the Reds can target if Salah decides to leave the club in summer.

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#5 Florian Thuvian

Florian Thuvian failed to impress during his spell at Newcastle United

After failing to impress during his time at St. James Park, the French international revived his career with his former club, Marseille. He is one of the best players in the Ligue 1 this season and scored 20 goals along with ten assists.

Florian Thuvian is a superb dribbler and is composed in front of the goal. He possesses great pace and loves to cut inside into good shooting positions - likened to that of Egyptian.

His brilliant performances also caught the attention of France's national team's manager, Didier Deschamps and he is now in the contention of making into the World Cup squad after being called up for the most recent friendlies against Columbia and Russia in March.

The 25-year-old would be a great replacement for the Egyptian and can follow Salah's footsteps of finding success for his second spell in the Premier League. However, his upper-body strength remains to be in question and the former Newcastle United winger needs to spend a lot of time in the gym to compete with the physicality of the league.

#4 Malcom

Malcom is the hottest prospect in football right now.

Dubbed as the next Neymar, Malcom is one of the hottest prospects in football right now and he was linked with a number of big clubs in the past few transfer windows.

The former Corinthians man joined Bordeaux in the winter transfer window of 2016 and quickly became the fan favorite with his impressive performances. He played 33 Ligue 1 games this season scoring ten goals.

Malcom is a skilled dribbler capable of playing anywhere across the front line. He likes to shoot from the distance and scored a number of goals from outside the box this season. The Brazillian also possesses an electrifying pace and can make sure that the Reds don't miss Salah's pace if the Egyptian decides to leave the club.

However, the Reds will face a tough competition to lure the highly rated winger to Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will need to spend over the odds to secure his services.

#3 Nabil Fekir

Nabil Fekir has scored 17 goals this season.

The Lyon captain, Nabil Fekir is in a brilliant form this season and scored 17 goals along with six assists in the Ligue 1.

Lyon academy graduate made his debut in 2013 and became a first-team regular within a year. He scored 13 goals in his second season in the Ligue 1 and was awarded the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season award. He was also a part of the Ligue 1 Team of the Season in the 2014-2015 season.

Fekir is known for his agility, quickness and a surprisingly strong built. He is established in the number 10 role but can play either up front or through both wings. He often shows his full ability when playing on the right, cutting inside and never hesitating to have a go at goal. He likes running at defenders and uses his pace and dribbling skills to get past them.

Nabil Fekir is heavily linked with the Reds since the past few weeks, but it is still unclear whether the Reds targeted him for replacing Mohamed Salah or to add a different dimension in their squad.

#2 Julian Brandt

Julian Brandt

The Bayer Leverkusen attacker gave some eye-catching performances this season which led to interest from the top European clubs.

Brandt scored eight goals in Bundesliga this season and also provided further assistance to three of his teammate's goals.

The 22-year-old plays his best football from the left, but he is fully capable of operating from the right or behind the striker as well. His electric pace and a neat touch give him the ability to beat defenders with ease, while his finishing and an eye to pick up a killer pass are also added to his valuable attributes.

Nevertheless, the German is often criticized for his poor work rate and attitude problems, but Jurgen Klopp can surely work on that aspect of his game to get the best out of him as he did with many other players earlier in his career.

#1 Paulo Dybala

Paulo Dybala will be a dream signing.

Not a like to like replacement for Mohamed Salah, but the Argentine would be a great addition for Liverpool if they lose their prized asset in summer.

Paulo Dybala is one of the best performers for Juventus from the past few years and was included in the Serie A Team of the Season for the last two seasons. He finished at the 15th place in the Ballon d'Or 2017 rankings and was a part of the FIFPro World XI Second Team in 2017.

Known for his pace and technical abilities, Dybala's incisiveness will add the much-needed bite to the Liverpool forward line. He is good at set-pieces and his work rate will compliment Jurgen Klopp's style at Liverpool.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old will command a huge price tag in today's transfer market, but the Reds will also receive a huge fee if they decide to cash in for Salah in summer. Therefore, spending a huge chunk on the Argentine can prevent them from hampering their progress next season.