Paul Merson believes that new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will have to do without Mohamed Salah next season.
Slot, 45, emerged as the red-hot favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp when he stands down later this month and is expected to be confirmed as the Reds' next boss imminently after earning rave reviews in his current role at at Feyenoord.
Klopp leaves big shoes to fill after a successful nine-year spell at the helm, winning both the Premier League and the Champions League. Slot will, however, inherit a squad which unexpectedly challenged for the title this term.
While Slot will be given the opportunity to stamp his own mark on the squad, there is still uncertainty surrounding Salah, who established himself as Liverpool's talisman during Klopp's tenure.
The Egyptian forward was the subject of a monster £150million bid from the Saudi Pro League last summer. It is anticipated that interest will be rekindled once the transfer window reopens - and Merson reckons that Salah will be off before Slot gets the chance to settle in at Anfield.
Speaking in Sportskeeda, Merson said: “I think Mohamed Salah goes to Saudi this summer and Arne Slot will have a huge task on his hands to replace the Egyptian’s goals, if he does end up leaving.
“A lot of coaches and backroom staff from the Jurgen Klopp era will also be on their way out, so the Dutchman has his work cut out for him. They have to keep Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, though, as these two players form the spine of their backline.”
Join the debate! Do you think Liverpool should keep Salah next season? Let us know here.
Salah signed a three-year contract with the Reds back in the summer of 2022 but he will have less than one year left on that deal when Slot takes charge of his first Premier League match next August, leaving Liverpool vulnerable.
Speculation over Salah's future intensified too after the forward became embroiled in a furious touchline bust-up with Klopp at West Ham last month.
However, it has since emerged that neither Liverpool or Salah have any plans to part ways in the summer - regardless of any potential big-money offers which may arrive from Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.
DON'T SCRAP REPLAYS! Join our petition to keep the magic of the FA Cup alive!
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.