Liverpool told to pay £130m to sign Mo Salah successor – Report

Liverpool Eyeing Michael Olise as Long-Term Salah Successor

Liverpool are already planning for life after Mohamed Salah, and reports from Anfield Watch suggest that Michael Olise is rapidly emerging as the preferred heir to the Egyptian King.

Salah, now 33, remains under contract until 2027 after extending his deal at the back end of last season. However, with the club legend set to turn 35 when that agreement expires, sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot appear keen to avoid being forced into a reactive scramble down the line.

Smart Timing Over Sentimental Delays

The logic is clear. As the original article points out, Liverpool would be better served moving in 2026 rather than dragging the process out until 2027 when they would be under MASSIVE pressure. Identifying and signing the right replacement early offers continuity, strategic squad management and avoids inflating prices through desperation.

One name has leapt ahead of the pack. “Michael Olise, 23, has been sensational for Bayern Munich,” wrote Anfield Watch, noting how the French playmaker has “gone off like a rocket” since moving from Crystal Palace to the Bundesliga in 2024 for £53 million. That sum now looks like one of the bargains of the decade.

Photo: IMAGO

Bayern Braced for Premier League Power Play

Bayern Munich recognise the looming threat. Their priority is to secure Olise to fresh terms beyond 2029, with reports suggesting they want to extend him until 2031. Yet even they appear resigned to the possibility that a Premier League giant will come knocking. As Anfield Watch stated, “It’s now reckoned Bayern fear losing him when the Premier League’s big boys inevitably come calling.”

Liverpool, fresh from setting a British record signing Alexander Isak for £125 million (€144.5m), are now being quoted £130million for Olise. That would eclipse anything the club have spent before, but crucially, it signals ambition rather than recklessness.

Why Olise Fits the Anfield Blueprint

Olise’s profile is perfectly aligned with what Liverpool crave. Creative, intelligent, left-footed and technically supreme, he offers both goals and invention from wide areas. Unlike Salah, who made his name through relentless scoring, Olise is more of a conductor who can unlock rigid defences through guile as well as directness.

There are whispers that Olise himself is open to a Premier League return, having been born in England. “No doubt Olise will want to come back to England at some stage in his career,” stated Anfield Watch, and there is arguably no more exciting destination right now than a title-winning Liverpool under Arne Slot.

Whether Liverpool act next summer or wait one year longer, the direction of travel is clear. The Salah succession plan has begun, and Olise is the leading candidate.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

Liverpool fans will love everything about this story. Not just because Olise is a brilliant footballer, but because it confirms the club are thinking ahead rather than standing still. Supporters have long feared sleepwalking into a post-Salah panic, yet this report suggests the recruitment team are being proactive instead of sentimental.

There will be debate about the £130million price tag, but after breaking the bank for Alexander Isak, it is clear the owners are willing to reach deeper if they believe a player is transformational. Olise fits that bill. He is Premier League ready, tactically flexible and at 23 could lead the attack for close to a decade.

There will also be excitement about how Olise would operate under Arne Slot. His system encourages fluid rotation across the front line, so there would be no pressure to copy Salah’s goals output straight away. Instead, Olise could develop into a hybrid creator-scorer in a system designed to maximise his flair.

If Liverpool truly want to remain at the top, these are exactly the calibre of players they must chase. The fans will watch this one very closely.