Mo Salah’s final games as a Liverpool player are approaching and the debate over how we replace him is only going to intensify.
There is no straightforward answer because our No.11 has been so consistently brilliant that almost any successor will feel like a downgrade in one way or another.
Even when Kylian Mbappe’s name was raised, Steve Nicol still had major doubts.
"No. … Why do you want a problem?"
Steve Nicol wouldn't replace Salah with Mbappe at Liverpool 👀 pic.twitter.com/1QbtbzZE1G
— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) May 14, 2026
Speaking on ESPN, Nicol was asked whether he would take Mbappe at Liverpool to replace Salah if money wasn’t an issue.
The former defender said: “You always have to think what’s best, right, what’s best for everybody.”
Nicol then added: “If you’re doing what’s best for everybody, do you want a pain in the backside who’s gonna destroy whatever dressing room chemistry you have?”
He later made his view even clearer, asking: “Why do you want a problem? Do you want to take the problem, possibly the biggest problem, away from Real Madrid and plant it in Liverpool?”
It’s a strong stance because Mbappe is obviously one of the best footballers in the world.
The Frenchman has scored 24 La Liga goals this season and, in pure talent terms, every club would surely want a forward capable of producing numbers like that.
Nicol’s argument isn’t really about ability, though, it’s about fit, personality and what Liverpool would be building after Salah.
He pointed to Real Madrid’s issues and suggested they have tried to build around Mbappe, only for things not to work as smoothly as expected.
That’s where the Salah comparison becomes so difficult, because the Egyptian has combined world-class output with years of reliability, professionalism and tactical trust.
Slot has confirmed Salah is set to return at Aston Villa, saying: “Mo will be available tomorrow for only a few minutes, but hopefully can come in.”
That will be his final Premier League away appearance for Liverpool, which makes the replacement debate feel even more real.
Mbappe may be the fantasy name, but given his match-ups against Conor Bradley – we’ve seen that he doesn’t terrorise every defence.
It’s about finding someone who fits the team, the dressing room and the demands of Anfield, and Nicol clearly doesn’t believe the Real Madrid superstar would be the right answer.
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