Liverpool should consider moves for Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka or Leeds United star Raphinha if Mohamed Salah ends up leaving the club, according to former Reds defender Jose Enrique.
Salah's current contract at Anfield is due to expire in the summer of 2023, as are those of fellow forwards Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. The Egyptian has yet to agree new terms, with warnings about a potential mistake with the club yet to meet the financial demands needed to keep him on Merseyside beyond next season.
Jose Enrique has named Saka and Raphinha as two players who he believes could fill the gap if Liverpool lose their top scorer. Both have been mentioned in connection with a move during previous transfer windows, and Jurgen Klopp's comments about the Arsenal man in particular point to a level of admiration.
"I don’t think there is any player like [Salah] at the moment," the Spaniard told Genting Casino. "There are very good players out there, like Raphinha from Leeds, he’s a top player. But what Salah has, not many players in the world have. He has a goal in him, work-rate, he has everything.
"Thiago is still adapting to his style and he’s a world class player. So it’s not very easy to find the right players to fit Klopp’s style. That’s why I believe when you have players like Salah, they should retire at the club. It won’t be easy to replace Salah, but there are players who could replace him; Raphinha could be one, I really like Bukayo Saka."
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The comments about Saka come after Jurgen Klopp hailed the England international as a "young and exciting player" back in November. The 20-year-old drew a blank at Anfield as Arsenal lost 4-0, but already has a career-best return of eight league goals this season as well as five assists.
"He’s very young, but maybe he could become a player close to Salah one day," Jose Enrique said of Saka. "This kind of player could do the job. But if you let Salah go and pay £80million for Saka, plus the salary, it doesn’t make sense to me."
Raphinha, meanwhile, has continued to post impressive numbers despite Leeds' struggles. His assist for Joe Gelhardt in the weekend victory over Norwich City was only his third in the league this term, but with nine goals he has already overtaken his tally from the 2020-21 campaign.
If Salah does end up leaving Liverpool, Jose Enrique suggested the forward has plenty of options. "He can play for any club in the world," the 36-year-old said.
"Gareth Bale is leaving Real Madrid, Salah could play there. Playing for Real Madrid is incredible. The love he gets in Liverpool, he could retire there as a legend as the best player in the club’s history if he keeps producing these types of numbers and stays."
With 20 league goals, Salah leads the way in the Premier League scoring charts this season, with no one else boasting more than 12. He has the likes of Robbie Fowler and Steven Gerrard in his sights when it comes to the all-time charts, but he'll need to stay put if he wants to catch them.
