Liverpool's Options on the Right Wing Should Salah Replacement Not Arrive

For the first time in a decade, Liverpool will line up for a Premier League season without their talismanic Egyptian King.

Mohamed Salah departed the club this summer, and he did so a full year earlier than planned after form concerns and a slew of poorly timed media statements saw the two parties agree to end the player's contract a year early. And since his departure, no like-for-like replacement has arrived.

The start of the summer saw explosive RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande linked with a move to Anfield, but the Ivorian has instead joined Real Madrid for a mighty fee of €140m. Since the Reds missed out on their primary target, Paris Saint-Germain's two-time European champion Bradley Barcola has been tipped to move to Merseyside, despite the fact that he has spent most of his time in the French capital on the left wing as opposed to the right. Regardless of who pulls on the famous red shirt this season though, there can be no denying that a new right winger will have monumental boots to fill.

Salah's Incredible Liverpool Stint

Little was expected of Salah when he first arrived at Anfield from Roma for a fee of £34m in the summer of 2017. The Egyptian had already failed in the Premier League after an ill-fated spell with Chelsea, and while stints in Italy with both Fiorentina and Roma helped rebuild his stock, there were still huge concerns as to whether he could help Liverpool return to title contention under Jurgen Klopp. But Salah would silence those doubters in style.

He netted a record 32 Premier League goals in his maiden season at Anfield, as well as helping himself to a further 11 in Europe as Liverpool reached the Champions League final. From there, Salah never looked back and would end up scoring a whopping 257 goals in all competitions for the club, the third most all-time behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. Not only that, but he would also help the club win its sixth Champions League crown in 2019 before twice winning the Premier League in both 2020 and 2025.

But now, Salah in Liverpool red is a sight fans will no longer see. He has now left Anfield, joining Turkish outfit Trabzonspor on a free transfer, and with the Reds not yet signing a like-for-like replacement, it should come as no surprise to see that online betting sites aren't big on Liverpool's Premier League title hopes. Ozoon online soccer betting outlet make Andoni Iraola's men a distant 5/1 third-favourite to reclaim the title next term, well behind defending champions Arsenal (6/4) and Manchester City (3/1).

So, what are Liverpool's options on the right wing should a Salah replacement — be it Barcola or anyone else — not be signed? Let's take a look.

Víctor Muñoz

Spanish winger Víctor Muñoz is one of Liverpool's three major signings this summer, alongside defenders Jérémy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo. The Reds agreed a £34.5m fee with Osasuna to seal the deal for the 23-year-old after an impressive maiden campaign with Los Rojillos, but the former Real Madrid youngster is a right-footed left winger by trade.

The vast majority of his seven goals and five assists last term came from operating on the left and cutting inside as opposed to the right, but Muñoz did make several appearances on the right-hand side — proving he is capable of playing there, despite it not being his strongest position, when called upon. With limited options right now, new manager Iraola could well ask Muñoz to start on the right for Liverpool's season opener against Newcastle.

Federico Chiesa

Once upon a time, Federico Chiesa was one of the hottest properties in European football. He was the star of the show as Italy won the European Championships in the summer of 2021, netting crucial goals against Austria and Spain to secure a spot in the team of the tournament. The years that followed, however, saw injuries rob Chiesa of his potential, and by the time he arrived at Anfield from Juventus for a cut-price of £10m in the summer of 2024, he was a shadow of the player that once lit up the continent.

Despite notching just five goals in 50 appearances — the vast majority of them from the substitutes' bench — Chiesa remains on Merseyside. And with Salah no longer with the club and no replacement signed, he remains Liverpool's only out-and-out right winger.

Former manager Arne Slot clearly wasn't a fan of the Italian, and opportunities under him were limited. But could Iraola be about to give his Anfield career a new lease of life? Considering the sheer lack of options on the right flank right now, the 28-year-old will surely be given a chance to impress.