‘You can’t replace him’ – Gerrard reacts to Salah exit
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The conversation around Mo Salah’s departure has now moved beyond emotion and into something far more uncomfortable for us, who actually replaces him.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThat question was put front and centre during a discussion on TNT Sports, where Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves made it clear just how difficult this situation really is.Gerrard makes bold claim on replacing Salah "You have to buy someone who is box office, or you're not replacing him" Steven Gerrard and the team discuss who Liverpool should bring in to replace Mo Salah 🤝 pic.twitter.com/WABu4OFeNL — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 25, 2026Speaking via X, the former Liverpool captain didn’t hold back when asked about what comes next.“You’d have to buy someone who’s box office or you’re not replacing him.
They have to be top end, top three or four wingers in the world to replace Mo Salah.”That’s as clear as it gets from someone who knows exactly what elite standards look like at this club.The ex-midfielder’s point is simple but brutal, there is no direct replacement unless we’re talking about one of the very best players on the planet.Hargreaves had earlier suggested Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise as a potential option, describing the idea of him on the right-hand side as “box office”, but even that came with doubt over availability.“If you’re Liverpool, you’ve got to go ready, tried and tested – for me that would be Olise. Somebody of that calibre.”Salah’s level makes this almost impossible taskGerrard’s follow-up line perhaps sums up the situation better than anything else: “That’s what Mo’s been.”It’s a reminder that for nearly a decade, the Egyptian has set a level that very few players in world football can consistently reach.Jamie Carragher made a similar point when stating that “Liverpool’s loss is English football’s loss”, placing the forward firmly among the greatest the league has ever seen.That wider recognition matters because it explains why this decision feels so significant beyond Anfield.Inside the squad, the reaction has been just as telling, with Kostas Tsimikas describing the 32-year-old as “one of the greatest players of our generation”, highlighting both his ability and his influence on those around him.When you combine those perspectives, from teammates, former players and pundits, a consistent picture emerges.Replacing Salah isn’t just about signing a winger.It’s about trying to fill a role that has defined an era for us, and as Gerrard made clear, that’s something only the very best in the world could even attempt to do.