Liverpool may have picked the wrong £113m star as Wirtz–Salah dilemma and new transfer strategy emerge
The praise given to Richard Hughes and the other Liverpool executives involved in the German star’s transfer has overshadowed concerns about how Florian Wirtz’s arrival might affect Mohamed Salah.
Let’s be honest, after winning the Premier League title, Liverpool didn’t really need another playmaker. They already have one of the most balanced midfields in England — Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch have formed a solid trio that controls games with ease.
Still, there’s a fair question hanging around Salah’s side of the pitch. Wirtz loves drifting into the inside-left channel, and that could leave Salah a bit isolated on the right, especially now that Trent Alexander-Arnold has joined Real Madrid.
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Arnold’s passing and vision were key to Salah’s best years, he pulled defenders out of position and fed Salah with passes that turned half-chances into goals. Without him, things haven’t looked quite the same for the Egyptian forward.
But come to think of it🤔 In order to provide Salah competition and support, that money could have been used for a right winger or even a centre-back.
Although Salah may score and assist like a machine, he isn’t. With their new Galactico-style transfer strategy.
However, the Reds felt they couldn’t and at least didn’t want to lose out on Wirtz, a generational talent, in a show of strength against European powerhouses also fighting for the 22-year-old’s services.
The most prominent of those other suitors was Bayern Munich, who have been incredibly sour about it ever since.
However, they will now be gloating over rumours that Liverpool is showing interest in Michael Olise again and the chance to reject their offer, as director of sport Max Eberl is certain to do if they do.
Eberl responded to enquiries about interest in the former Crystal Palace star by saying, “The contract runs until June 2029, contains no exit clause, and Olise is on his way to becoming one of the best players in the world.”
When the Bundesliga powerhouses activated Olise’s very alluring €60 million-[£52] release clause in July 2024, Liverpool and the majority of the big Premier League teams were interested in him.
The Reds were “prioritising” Olise over Cyrsencio Summerville, according to a June report from Liverpool Echo that summer.
The fact that Olise was even a choice serves as a great illustration of what can change in 16 months of football.
While Salah was an route to finishing fourth in the Ballon d’Or by leading Bayern to their second Premier League title, Olise has more than doubled his market value to become the tenth most valuable player in the world at €130 million [£113 million].
He has smash 26 goals and 29 assists in 66 appearances for Bayern during that time.
They are now keeping a close eye on the Frenchman, though, as Salah is struggling more than any other player under Arne Slot this season after receiving a massive new contract that the team may already be regretting. But do you think Bayern can release olise just like that ?
Wirtz and Olise share tenth place on the list of the most valuable players, although Wirtz’s market worth has decreased from €140 million to €130 million this season, while Olise’s has increased from €100 million.
And let’s not forget, even if Wirtz does turn out well and succeeds under Slot in the Premier League, Liverpool would have been better off purchasing Olise even after taking into account all the “time to adapt” warnings for his dismal start to life at Anfield.
In a spirit of peace and pomp, they could have cheerfully parted ways with a peak Salah while maintaining the same football style that Slot had to adopt in order to force Wirtz into his squad.
The topic of who the bloody hell could replace one of the club’s greatest players ever is instead presented to us, along with what may be Salah’s terribly depressing fall, replete with regret and hostility.
The response was Michael Olise, but now that they beat Bayern to the wrong £113 million player, it isn’t.
