Liverpool transfer news: Arne Slot identifies two 'penetrative' Mohamed Salah replacements for 2026

Liverpool have reportedly earmarked two Premier League-proven wingers who could potentially take over from Mohamed Salah next summer.

After breaking the record for the most goal contributions in a 38-game Premier League season last term, the 33-year-old has endured a disappointing start to 2025-26 by his high standards.

Salah was notably dropped to the bench for the Reds' 5-1 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, and he failed to cover himself in glory when he came onto the field too.

The former Chelsea and Roma man could have squared to Florian Wirtz for a simple tap-in at Deutsche Bank Park, but he opted to go for goal himself and the chance went begging.

Salah appeared to remove all mentions of Liverpool from his social media accounts following the heightened criticism, and a few Liverpool fans are calling for the current Golden Boot winner to be omitted from the first XI more often.

Liverpool keeping tabs on two possible Mohamed Salah replacements?

Even though Salah signed a new two-year deal with the Premier League champions this summer, he is already being linked with an exit in 2026, when big-money offers from Saudi Arabia could arrive once more.

According to Football Insider, the Reds are running the rule over two ready-made successors in Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo and Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, both of whom have two particularly desired qualities.

The report claims that Semenyo and Gordon are both admired for the 'penetration' that they could offer to Liverpool's attacking line, as well as their ability to occupy multiple positions and rotate across the final third.

Semenyo signed a new long-term Bournemouth deal in the summer and has made a scintillating start to the 2025-26 Premier League season, registering six goals and three assists in his first eight appearances.

Meanwhile, Gordon was heavily linked with a return to Liverpool in the summer of 2024 - speculation that reportedly affected his mood at England's Euros camp - but he remained loyal to the Magpies.

Comparing Antoine Semenyo and Anthony Gordon amid Liverpool transfer talk

Only Erling Haaland has had a direct hand in more Premier League goals than Semenyo so far this season, while Gordon is yet to even find the back of the net or provide an assist in five top-flight games.

However, the former Everton man has netted four times and set up one more goal in the Champions League, offering Liverpool a European-experienced option as well as a Premier League-proven Salah successor.

Semenyo has bagged his six Premier League goals despite averaging fewer shots per game than Gordon - 2.4 to 2.6 - while the Ghanaian also registers 1.3 key passes per match compared to Gordon's one.

On the other hand, Gordon wins more fouls than the Bournemouth man and also boasts a superior pass completion rate of 77.2% compared to 74.5%, although Semenyo is sure to be one of the hottest properties on the 2026 market.