24 Mar 2026 20:54:53
Hi all,
As I previously reported after the Leeds game, Salah has now agreed to terminate his contract with the club. This is something that's been in negotiations for months, beginning around the time of Leeds away.
The club are in deep negotiations with Bayern regarding a deal for Michael Olise. Additionally, Galatasaray winger Sallai is viewed as a backup, should Olise not sign.
{Ed025's Note - good stuff VG...cheers for sharing mate..
24 Mar 2026 21:05:13
Cheers Vic.
24 Mar 2026 21:14:18
No thanks to any of the Galatasaray players, they are s****.
24 Mar 2026 21:18:46
Not sure why we would terminate his contract. Salah has been a great servant to the club, but surely we should be taking a transfer fee for a player that has to be worth 40/50 million.
24 Mar 2026 21:24:16
Salah might not want to go to Saudi? They are pretty much the only ones likely to pay £50m for him after all.
24 Mar 2026 21:30:33
Olise down to Sallai seems a hefty drop off.
28, is he not a right back?
Rather do a Bowen, if pickings are that slim.
Thank you for sharing mate.
24 Mar 2026 21:35:26
Not Diomande?
24 Mar 2026 21:43:02
What's he on? £400k per week?
That's 20 million a year in wages.
By terminating his contract, it's like receiving a £20m transfer fee.
Besides, legends of the club should be allowed to choose their next destination. Salah has deserved that. I'm pleased the club has taken this approach.
Good luck, Mo. Guaranteed an ovation whenever he's at Anfield. A legend of the club.
24 Mar 2026 21:48:48
Salai?! Hard pass, if they bring in a player of that quality to replace Salah, we are truly f***ed. The guy can't even hit double figures for goal contributions. Besides, we already have 1 makeshift RW that we brought in as a RB that has left us unsure as to what position he was actually brought in for, we don't need a second, thanks.
24 Mar 2026 21:59:03
Roland Sallai? Roy Hodgson years are back again.
24 Mar 2026 22:01:31
From Salah to Sallai.
24 Mar 2026 22:26:02
Next will be Salllaj.
24 Mar 2026 22:55:22
Sallai is as close to a Salah replacement as you can get. Change one letter, remove one l, and boom.
Jokes aside, there's simply no way.
There's no prime Salah replacement out there.
Olise, I'm sure we're trying. If we can pull off a miracle and get Champions League under Slot, perhaps.
Diomande seems a better bet for me.
25 Mar 2026 00:56:07
Olise would be seriously impressive. Diomande seems to want us and would be an excellent plan B. Personally, think we need both if Carra is correct and Gakpo is off. Can we finance it? Who knows.
29-year-old RB Sallai has to be a joke?
25 Mar 2026 04:38:47
Thanks VG...
Appreciate the info mate.
Keep it coming. ????
25 Mar 2026 08:23:42
Surely you've mixed up the names here, mate?
Galatasaray do have a very good winger (Baris Alper Yilmaz) who I think would be a good signing. He can play RW, LW and CF. Plus he's only 25 and is probably the quickest player I've seen play against us since prime Theo Walcott. Yilmaz also has 10 goals and 14 assists this season, which is not to be sniffed at.
Sallai is an RB though. 28 years old. Can't really beat a man. Has occasionally played as a RWB. Only has 1 goal and 6 assists this season.
If Yilmaz is the alternative to Olise, I'm not fussed at all as I think both would do very well for us. In fact, I think Yilmaz is more suited to the Premier League as he's much more robust, and Olise struggled with multiple serious hamstring injuries when he played in the Premier League, which might be an indicator that the pace of English football is too much for him.
The only injury that has ever kept Yilmaz out for more than 1 game was a broken foot, and he was still back after just 5 games. Olise is quite clearly the more technically gifted player though. Yilmaz is just a battering ram.
The only way Sallai even remotely makes sense as a Salah replacement is if the club see Frimpong as more of a RW than a RB, and Sallai came in to play at RB and free Frimpong up to play further forward even if Bradley is injured. That seems like a stretch though.
25 Mar 2026 10:00:52
Agree with a lot of what you say there, MK, but I think you're being a bit harsh on Yilmaz.
I think he's as skilful as Olise, not as quick, but definitely stronger on the ball, higher work rate, and very clever, skilful player.
He'd be a great signing.
25 Mar 2026 10:50:46
Just to clarify re Sallai.
My understanding is that in the event of Olise not being possible, Sallai would be brought in as backup to Jeremie Frimpong, who can play on the wing.
Bayern want Gakpo and there's a possibility of some sort of swap deal + cash being organised there. Everything hinges on UCL qualification.
25 Mar 2026 11:01:35
Thanks for the info, Victor.
25 Mar 2026 11:38:58
Ron, am I misreading or are you saying you think Yilmaz is not as quick as Olise? Because Olise is not anywhere near as fast as Yilmaz. Olise is more like a Payet or Cherki type player. He can beat a man if they overcommit because the ball sticks to his feet like it's glued there, but he's not what I would describe as fast.
Yilmaz on the other hand, I genuinely cannot think of a quicker player we've faced since Walcott circa 2007-2010. I was absolutely stunned when Yilmaz strode past Szoboszlai and made him look like Mac Allister. Dom is no slouch and Yilmaz made him look like he was running in lead boots.
I didn't mean my original comment to sound harsh on Yilmaz though. Like you say, he's stronger on the ball and works a lot harder. He can also comfortably play both sides. I'd really like to see him in a Liverpool shirt next season. He's exciting, and when you watch Galatasaray pressing, they're relentless. He's a huge part of that. With Olise you're not going to get any pace in behind, and he is not going to press for the team. I honestly just don't see what he'll add to the team that a 33 year old Salah doesn't offer. If we want a relatively slow winger (who won't make a tackle) to cut back onto their left foot and curl the ball towards goal or the back post, we might as well be keeping Salah.
To be abundantly clear, Diomande is the winger I want. I posted on the Discussions page already but in order to get the best out of Isak and Ekitike I think we need blistering pace on both sides. Diomande should be the main priority for the RW as he is going to be elite, but after that I'd go for someone for the LW with a similar profile to Sadio Mane when we signed him all them years ago. 21-25 years old, aggressive, lightning quick, direct, and with the potential to score 10+ goals a season. Gordon, Yilmaz, Minteh, Ouattara etc. We have signed Wirtz and not given him any runners to pick out. We've signed Isak and not given him any out and out wingers to provide him with the service he thrived on at Newcastle. All 4 of those players I just listed also press out of possession like it's their primary job in the team. The new signings should be all about maximising the potential of Wirtz and Isak/Ekitike. Otherwise we've just blown £300m.
For me, Olise is just going to come short for the ball, drift infield getting in the way of Wirtz, and carry on doing exactly what an aging Salah's been doing this season. It's an outrageously expensive deal and if the links are true, I have to seriously question who has looked at our squad an decided that we need another winger who lacks genuine pace to beat a decent full back, and wants to come inside at every opportunity. Rio makes such a difference when he comes on because he is very fast and wants to beat his man on the outside or drive into the box. He's not even that great right now, he's just stylistically exactly what we're lacking and therefore he gives the team balance.
25 Mar 2026 12:25:56
Victor, who is being tasked with arranging the targets and negotiations? If we are to believe Hughes is one foot out the door, as is Slot, so who is in control or even advising the players of interest if the two people previously at the heart of buying and using these players are going, unless of course one or neither are leaving?
25 Mar 2026 12:49:39
Hughes is still continuing sporting director work for the club as things stand. Edwards is doing his part too, albeit heavily disappointed with the club currently.
25 Mar 2026 13:47:32
So full research mode lol.
Considering Xabi comes in, and Considering he sets up like Leverkusen did.
Might actually make sense Sallai (that is).
Xabi played with wingbacks and two AM...
2 + 2 and getting 9 lol.
Olise as AM as opposed to wing.