Jürgen Klopp may have rejected any bids for Mohamed Salah coming in from Saudi Arabian football, but that does not mean Liverpool are ready to kick back and relax in case their star footballer decides to leave.
The player has been linked for the past seven days with a move to Al Ittihad, where he would join N'Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema as the marquee players for the Saudi Arabian champions. Klopp spoke of this issue after their comeback win against Newcastle, and he did not shy away from the topic but tried to put an abrupt end to all speculation.
"Mo Salah is a Liverpool player and he is essential to everything we do. If there was something, the answer would be no. My philosophy in life has me thinking about a problem when I have it, and right now there is nothing of the sort going on," Klopp said.
Nevertheless, the club has started to prepare for Salah's exit, whether it comes this year or in the near future. According to a report by Football Transfers, the Reds have identified West Ham's Jarrod Bowen as a suitable replacement for Salah, in case Al Ittihad's offer satisfies Liverpool's demands.
Bowen had a pretty decent 2022-23 season, setting a personal record for games played (54). Furthermore, he scored the game-winning goal for the Hammers in the UEFA Europa Conference League final, instantly attracting interest from other EPL heavyweights.
It is still early to determine if Salah or Bowen will change teams, but Liverpool's intentions to add fresh blood to their roster is there in case they need to. Only time will tell if Bowen is good enough to fill Salah's void, since the Egyptian has been crucial to the team's recent success in England and in European tournaments.
