Xabi Alonso has backed a top young talent to follow him to Liverpool. He could end up being the perfect successor to Mohamed Salah. A lot could change before the end of the year with Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool.
This is going to be a big summer and the Reds need a new sporting director. There may be changes in personnel. Liverpool don’t want to think about losing Mohamed Salah any time soon, but the club must think about the future. The Egyptian turns 32 in 2024 and will enter the final year of his contract next season. Interest in his work is not going anywhere. It’s no secret that clubs in Saudi Arabia are keen on signing Salah and have made a huge push to sign him this summer.
Liverpool have resisted these demands, but an irreplaceable player will always have to be replaced, even if he signs another contract. Losing Salah is not something Jurgen Klopp wants to entertain. Asked about Salah’s relationship with Saudi Arabia at the end of last year, Klopp told reporters: “It’s really positive. He loves being around boys, knows they have huge potential and wants to maximize that potential by getting something out of them. “I never thought of anything else, and I hope I never have to.” But sooner or later the time will come when Salah will have to be replaced. He has had a great start to the season, but it is clear that Liverpool 2.0 will not rely on him alone.
A team built for the future cannot be built around 31-year-olds. Klopp has a new star and a new talisman.There is no doubt that Liverpool will decide to part ways with Salah at some point. But there are few players in world football who can currently breach them at Anfield. But now there is a man who will play a key role as Klopp’s replacement under Xabi Alonso, and he may be right.
Florian Wirtz has long been considered the genius savior of German football. Despite being only 20 years old, he has broken numerous Bundesliga records and has also featured regularly for Germany’s senior team. His form has linked him with a move away from Leverkusen, with Liverpool also among those interested (according to the Daily Star). But if United wanted him, he thought they would have to wait.
Wirz’s father Hans-Joachim suggested in an interview with Sky Sports in Germany last November that Wirz would stay at Leverkusen until 2025. “Now everything is focused on Florian playing for Leverkusen next season,” said Wirtz Snr. Meanwhile, Florian Plettenberg said Wirz wants to move to Bayern Munich.
But Fichajes announced this week that they would launch a $76 million bid to land Wurtz if Alonso became Liverpool’s new manager. If Leverkusen will win the Bundesliga by then, now could be the time to watch both teams. And if United can land him, Wirtz’s departure time and Salah’s expiring contract could represent the perfect transfer plan. Although he primarily plays as an attacking midfielder for Leverkusen and operates centrally, Wirz is no stranger to playing on the wing. He is ambidextrous, meaning he can play left or right and can shoot using both his right and left foot. He is a small attacking player with the individual and scoring ability to replace Salah at Liverpool.
His manager has admired him throughout the season and even compared him to Lionel Messi earlier this year. “They are good players on the pitch and they are good-looking players. Good-looking players do interesting things, but they are not necessarily effective,” Alonso told reporters, according to GOAL. “Why is Messi so good? Because he knows when and how to make simple passes. Messi: “Are you feeling better? Here’s the ball!” It’s not always about the perfect moves, it’s about the best and most outstanding moves. Florian can do it. That’s why it’s so good.”
With the support of Alonso, his recent record and the fact that he is only 20 years old, Wirtz looks like a perfect fit for Liverpool. The relationship could become even stronger if Alonso is appointed as the next coach.
