Mo Salah's rightful heir is coming to Liverpool.
Last season marked the end of an incredible era at Liverpool as Mohamed Salah finally brought the curtain down on his time at Anfield.
Few players have ever left such a lasting legacy. For almost a decade, Salah was Liverpool's go-to man, delivering goals, assists and match-winning moments season after season.
No matter the occasion, you could count on him to step up. Whether Liverpool were chasing Premier League titles, competing in the Champions League or going through a rebuilding phase, Salah was the one player who almost always found a way to make the difference.
His consistency was what made him so special. While other world-class players went through ups and downs, Salah just kept producing year after year. Injuries rarely kept him out, and his numbers remained among the very best in Europe right until the end.
He played a huge role in bringing Liverpool back to the top of English and European football, helping the club enjoy one of the most successful periods in its modern history.
The problem is, players like Salah don't come around very often.
Replacing him isn't as simple as signing another right-winger. There isn't a like-for-like option anywhere in the market, which means sporting director Richard Hughes and Liverpool's recruitment team have a huge job on their hands.
The Reds will probably need to replace Salah's influence collectively rather than expecting one player to fill his boots. That could mean multiple signings, tactical tweaks and a different way of attacking altogether.
Liverpool may never find another Mohamed Salah - and that's okay. The real challenge now is building a team that can keep competing at the highest level without the player who carried the attack for so many years.
Yan Diomande was the dream target, but Liverpool have ultimately missed out. The highly-rated Ivorian has decided to join Paris Saint-Germain, and it's hard to blame him.
PSG are back-to-back Champions League winners, play some of the most exciting attacking football in Europe and, under Luis Enrique, have become one of the most attractive destinations for young forwards.
For any attacking player, it's an incredibly difficult opportunity to turn down.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, it leaves them searching for alternatives. Diomande wasn't a direct replacement for Mohamed Salah, but he was arguably the standout right-wing prospect available this summer.
His ability to beat defenders one-on-one, his confidence on the ball and the fear he already puts into full-backs make it easy to see why so many clubs were interested. There's a feeling that Diomande has all the tools to become one of the world's elite attackers over the next few years.
Now Liverpool have to look elsewhere, and the market isn't exactly overflowing with obvious options.
Bradley Barcola is one of the few names that stands out. He's a fantastic talent, but he's naturally more comfortable operating from the left, where Liverpool already have Cody Gakpo and the hugely promising Rio Ngumoha competing for minutes.
That leaves Richard Hughes and Liverpool's recruitment team with a difficult task. If they still want to strengthen on the right, they'll have to dig a little deeper to find the right solution.
But they don't have to look anywhere. The truth is actually right in front of them.
Because Mo Salah's true successor is already at Liverpool and he's already on the way to joining Andoni Iraola's first-team.
Liverpool beat stiff competition this summer to secure the signature of Joshua Abe. The 15-year-old, who will turn 16-years-old next week is the closest thing to Salah on the market right now.
Abe has the speed that Salah had in his prime. He's got the power and the agility and on top of that he has a wonderful left-foot.
Now, he was spotted returning to the AXA training centre this week. That means he is fit and he is going to be involved in pre-season with Andoni Iraola's first-team.
Liverpool have already given him a first-team squad number (40) and this summer could be the beginning of something special.
