The importance of superstar power cannot be understated in football, and at Liverpool, they have lost a bona fide sensation in Mohamed Salah, who left after the rigmarole of last season and has joined Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Salah scored 257 goals and supplied 123 assists across nine years for the Reds. He won two Premier League titles and the Champions League with Liverpool, among other major honours and a wide range of individual honours.
‘Only Mo Salah has more’ became a common saying toward the end of the 34-year-old’s Premier League journey. Jurgen Klopp has hailed his protege as “one of the all-time greats“.
Replacing him this summer was never going to be easy, but supporters would be forgiven for feeling a bit of consternation over FSG’s late-window plan to sign 28-year-old Crystal Palace star Ismaila Sarr.
How Ismaila Sarr compared to Mohamed Salah in 25/26
In fairness, Salah was at a low ebb last season, and Sarr might actually prove an upgrade on that version of the Egyptian forward, who fell by the wayside along with his outfit after so many years of illustrious success.
The Senegal international scored 21 times in all competitions last season. Over two terms at Selhurst Park, he has won the FA Cup and the Community Shield and the Conference League. He has proved a thorn in Liverpool’s side a number of times.
|
Premier League Form 2025/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (* per 90) |
Salah |
Sarr |
|
Matches (starts) |
27 (23) |
28 (24) |
|
Goals + Assists |
7 + 6 |
9 + 1 |
|
Shots (on target)* |
2.5 (0.7) |
1.7 (0.8) |
|
Accurate passes* |
22.6 (77%) |
12.1 (71%) |
|
Big chances created |
11 |
11 |
|
Key passes* |
1.8 |
0.7 |
|
Possession lost* |
17.4 |
9.8 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.7 |
0.4 |
|
Ball recoveries* |
3.0 |
2.9 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
0.7 |
0.9 |
|
Duels won* |
2.2 (30%) |
3.4 (39%) |
He might be 28 years old, and there’s no question that this would be a stop-gap signing for Liverpool, but Sarr has the quality to make a real difference over the next few years at Liverpool, adding an outlet down the right.
Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola have more to their game. Indeed, they are recognised as world-class attackers. But Sarr does know his stuff, and he has title-winning experience to boot.
He is also younger and fitter than Salah, and in that, marks an upgrade on the right flank; but with Crystal Palace looking for £75m to green-light his transfer, is it really the right move for Liverpool to make?
Liverpool need to consider the long stretch, and if they are planning to fork out a shedload on a new forward, why not aim a little higher.
Liverpool in recent talks to sign Premier League prodigy
The much-maligned Richard Hughes might leave his role as sporting director with a fanbase in frustration, but he is determined to plug in the holes while he still can.
Well, according to the Liverpool Echo, recent talks have been held with Real Madrid to work out whether a move to sign Endrick could be possible before this evening’s transfer deadline. An approach has been made, but Los Blancos aren’t keen on letting the 20-year-old Brazilian jump ship.
Liverpool’s interest has been documented throughout the summer, but it feels like suggestions that Endrick could join the club for £56m are erroneous. Expect Real Madrid to ask for more.
Indeed, in the words of former Madrid and Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo he “has all the qualities to be the best player in the world”, and while chances have been few and far between at Real Madrid over the past couple of years, a second-half-of-season loan spell with Lyon in France last year showed that he can thrive in different environments.
|
Endrick in Ligue 1 (25/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Stats (* per 90) |
# |
|
Matches (starts) |
16 (14) |
|
Goals + Assists |
5 + 7 |
|
Shots (on target)* |
3.1 (1.6) |
|
Big chances missed |
9 |
|
Accurate passes* |
14.1 (75%) |
|
Big chances created |
9 |
|
Key passes* |
1.9 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
2.3 |
|
Recoveries* |
2.8 |
|
Def. contributions* |
1.3 |
|
Duels won* |
4.6 |
Despite his youth, Endrick could be the perfect superstar Salah replacement. He could far outstrip someone like Sarr, and if Liverpool have to pay a figure in the same ballpark, why not go for the rising star with the quality to become a sensation?
Endrick, after all, was picked out by arguably the greatest club in the world as he emerged on the senior stage, and though he has struggled for playing time, has the power and potency and can-do attitude to become a talisman at Liverpool – not only this year, but across the next several years.
Hailed as “the new Ronaldo” for his likeness to Brazilian phenomenon Ronaldo Nazario, Endrick simply has it. That swaggering superstar style that somone like Sarr would not bring to Anfield with the same efficiency. Endrick could score plenty of goals this season for Liverpool while continuing to develop into one of the world’s best.
It would be somewhat obvious to say that Endrick has all the qualities needed to be a star in the Premier League. Indeed, he is a sensation, someone who could grow into one of the world’s finest.
At Liverpool, welcomed by a Kop crowd in raptures over such singular quality, Endrick could grow into a R9-esque attacker for the club – and wouldn’t that be quite something.