Liverpool replace Mo Salah with surprise move

Liverpool have replaced Mo Salah with a surprise move that nobody noticed.

The transfer window is closed and there's a lot to ponder on for the Reds and their recruitment team.

Arguably the most important window in recent times has ended in disappointment. However, there is still a lot to mule over, and the success of the window will only be determined come the end of the season, and come the end of the careers of those players who were brought in.

Ultimately, Richard Hughes still secured some exciting acquisitions.

However, there is no denying he failed to address key areas of the squad that needed to be addressed.

Liverpool now go into the season out of kilter with little balance.

Liverpool's biggest error in the transfer window exposed

Iraola's squad now go into the season with an attack that doesn't actually possess a natural right-winger.

Right now, Liverpool have four exciting wingers but all of them prefer to play on the left-wing.

Victor Munoz, Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and Bradley Barcola have all played most of their careers on the left side of the attack.

Ultimately, Liverpool's biggest error in the market was to not sign a winger who preferred to play on the right and replace Salah.

They had the chance to. Yan Diomande was a target and Ibrahim Mbaye was also looked at.

During the final few days of the window Liverpool also explored moves for Yankuba Minteh and Ismail Sarr.

But none of these moves were deemed viable for the Reds.

Liverpool quietly replaced Mo Salah without anyone noticing

So, who is the replacement for the Egyptian King?

Well the answer might be one nobody really noticed. Liverpool's last minute decision to keep Gakpo and not sell him to Manchester City for a whopping £85m means the actual replacement for Salah isn't a right-winger by trade.

It's actually Barcola.

Well, the Frenchman is capable of playing on the right-wing. He started out his career playing there at Lyon, and has also played there with Paris Saint Germain.

But most importantly, Liverpool needed to replace the star quality of Salah and Barcola while not being a natural right-winger is the Salah replacement in terms of being a world-class player.

To highlight his quality, over the last calendar year Barcola has averaged the highest xG among wingers in Europe’s top five leagues (0.50 per 90 minutes).

Above Lamine Yamal (0.49), Luis Díaz (0.44) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (0.41).

He’s also averaged the third most goals (0.52 per 90 minutes), behind only Yamal (0.58) and Michael Olise (0.53).

That is a player who is capable of replacing Salah.