With six matches remaining in Liverpool's season, Arne Slot has already started planning for what would be his third term in charge. The Reds are poised to finish 25/26 empty-handed, with Champions League qualification still to be secured.
The departures of Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, alongside the long-term Achilles injury sustained by Hugo Ekitike during their 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, certainly haven't left the reigning Premier League champions in a strong position heading into the summer.
Describing the club as in "transition", Slot faces a considerable challenge if he is to have any hope of restoring Liverpool to their previous heights. We explore the future of a forgotten Reds star and a possible successor to the Egyptian king.
Robertson's forthcoming absence creates a vacancy at left-back - a position Slot confirmed has already been addressed by an existing Liverpool player. Kostas Tsimikas will rejoin Anfield next season after his loan stint at Roma concludes in May.
The Greece international departed Liverpool last August to link up with the Serie A outfit, but his career on Merseyside is set to be revived. Speaking ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton, Slot said: "Last year we made quite a lot of signings, and that's why we traded that much.
"In four windows had net spend of £150m. That says what kind of club we are. We know we are changing at least two players, but Kostas is coming back."
While a successor to Robertson has already been confirmed, identifying a replacement for Salah will prove considerably more challenging. The Egyptian superstar confirmed he would be departing Anfield at the end of the campaign during the March international break.
Replicating the extraordinary volume of goals and assists that the 33-year-old has delivered across nearly a decade is a near-impossible task, yet one player has been identified as a fitting successor, according to Reds legend John Aldridge.
Jarrod Bowen has been at West Ham for six years
The 67-year-old — who netted 64 goals in 104 appearances for the club — believes West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen has the qualities to fill Salah's boots, pointing to his Premier League pedigree and reliable output. Speaking to Boyle Sports, Aldridge said: "I've looked at Jarrod Bowen for some years now, and I really like the way he plays football, and what he offers West Ham.
"I joined Liverpool when I was 28 or 29. There are a good couple of years left in him. I've been saying this to a lot of ex-players for a couple of years now. He would fit the bill whenever Mo was ready to go, and even now, you still get a couple of good years at least out of him.
"If West Ham stay up, then it would be hard to get him, and he's probably not what the owners look at, age-wise. But again, I'm a bit of a dinosaur, so why not? For what's out there, if, hypothetically, we were to get him, he could get you 15 goals a season and a lot of assists. But it might not fit the makeup of the club, sadly.
"Jarrod Bowen is a more solid option than [RB Leipzig star] Yan Diomande because he's used to the Premier League, he's used to British life. He's a lot older. A young lad coming in, it's tough, especially at that age.
"For someone to take over from Mohamed Salah. It's got to be someone solid, someone who's done it. Ticks all the boxes, has experience. Someone with pace, we need pace. Mo has lost a bit of pace, we need that up top. That is the criteria."
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