One day, Liverpool will have to contend with the departure of Mohamed Salah. It is a thought that strikes fear into the hearts of those on Merseyside – the red half, at least.
For the blue side, and indeed far beyond, the Egyptian machine has plagued Premier League defences for many years, since signing from Roma in a £34m transfer back in 2017.
Salah, aged 31, has scored 196 goals and supplied 83 assists from 320 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side; he has been the offensive catalyst and enjoyed a starring role across an illustrious period in the Reds' history, instrumental in the conquering of the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup – not an exhaustive list.
Liverpool warded off advances from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in the summer, who are believed to have presented a £150m package for the 32-year-old, but with Salah out of contract in 2025, he will not remain on Anfield grass forever.
While the defensive and central thirds require immediate attention, Klopp could be tempted to spend big on a new attacking outlet when the time comes, and if reports are to be believed, that addition could be Jamal Musiala.
Liverpool transfer news – Jamal Musiala
According to Sport1, Liverpool are very much among the contenders for Musiala's services as the Bayern Munich star continues to sit at an impasse with the Bundesliga champions regarding a contractual renewal.
More recently, Sport Bild – via ESPN – have reported that Spanish giants Real Madrid have also joined the race and will prioritise the 20-year-old's signing next summer should efforts to sign Kylian Mbappe prove fruitless.
Reports from October have suggested that Liverpool will have to cough up €100m (£87m) to secure Musiala's signature, and while this is an eye-watering figure, they may not find the opportunity to find such an extraordinary talent still malleable enough to be shaped to Klopp's creation.
Jamal Musiala's style of play
Having been a starring member of Chelsea's youth academy throughout his formative years, Musiala opted to return to his homeland in 2019 after the Stamford Bridge side failed to match Die Roten's offer.
How they must rue that call; Musiala has now plundered 35 goals and 26 assists from 138 professional outings, clinching 32 direct contributions from 47 games last year.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, for Germany, Musiala was one of the only bright sparks as his nation languished to a group phase exit, with the gem, who has been hailed as a "future Ballon d'Or winner" by teammate Alphonso Davies, completing 12 dribbles in one match against Costa Rica (the most ever from a teenager in a single game at the tournament).
This year, he has only started five league matches so far – a large reason behind the growing sense that he might be unsettled – but has scored four goals and supplied three assists across all competitions – serving a goal against Manchester United in the Champions League.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Dribbling
Crossing
Through balls
Tackling
Long shots
Key passes
Finishing
*Sourced via WhoScored
A remarkable prospect, Musiala ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and successful take-ons, the top 7% for assists and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
The £87k-per-week gem boasts skills that would slot into Klopp's Liverpool system like a dovetail joint, and should it come down to it, the Reds simply must prioritise signing the Bavarian machine over his countryman Florian Wirtz, who has been sensational for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
How Jamal Musiala compares to Florian Wirtz
Wirtz has scored six goals and supplied nine assists from 15 matches across all competitions this season as Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen perch atop the Bundesliga table, having been dubbed an "elite talent" by scout Jacek Kulig.
Destined for a career at the very top, Wirtz has made 2.5 key passes per game in the German top-flight this term; Sofascore highlights his tendency to linger around the left channel, influencing play from the touchline and weaving inside to create chances and strike on goal himself.
There are compelling cases to be made that a club such as Liverpool should focus on signing either one of these stunning midfielders, but Liverpool would find Musiala of greater value to Klopp's project, with Wirtz also attracting the side's attention, according to the Star – via the Daily Mail.
(stats per 90)
Goals
Assists
Shots
Pass %
Prog. passes
Prog. carries
STA
SCA
Jamal Musiala
0.31
0.34
1.76
86%
5.54
4.20
4.05
4.78
Florian Wirtz
0.30
0.53
2.41
79%
7.06
3.99
3.63
5.96
*Statistics sourced via FBref
As the table delineates, the players are of a similar ilk if differing slightly in their approach on the pitch. Wirtz is more creative and influences play from deep, as highlighted by his superior shot-creating actions (SCA), but Musiala is a more adept dribbler, driving the ball forward and bypassing hapless defenders with successful take-ons (STA).
Make no mistake, either one of these prodigious Germany starlets would be an incredible addition to the Anfield side, and there is little dispute that Wirtz is one of the finest, most dynamic playmaking talents of his generation. It might just be that Musiala is more suited to the role that Klopp would hope for him to play.
The Bayern player, who has been heralded as a "potential world beater" by a recruitment figure central to transfer speculation surrounding his name, is a dribbler at his core and could be the perfect foil for Liverpool stars such as Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose creative ingenuity would blend sumptuously with Musiala, as he weaves through the half-spaces.
The figures that might be involved in a transfer could be astronomical, but the Liverpool chiefs have already demonstrated their willingness to spend big after capturing Darwin Nunez for a club-record fee totalling £85m.
When Salah does bow out, it will be important to secure a shiny new signature of someone who could compensate for his exit; directly replacing such a prolific phenomenon would be difficult, true, but investing in a new kind of attacking threat would be an astute move.
Musiala could be the talismanic figure to ensure Liverpool remain challenging for the biggest honours over the coming years, and if an opportunity arises, then Klopp must pounce.
