Liverpool have an OBVIOUS Mohamed Salah replacement

The million pound question at Liverpool remains the same as it has ever been. Well for the last few years at least.

As Mohamed Salah's contract trickles down and the prospect of him leaving the club increases with every passing day, just how on earth do you replace one of the best players on the planet?

The answer is obvious - you give him a new contract.

However, at this stage, with Salah free to negotiate with clubs from abroad in just a few months time, Liverpool have to consider the possibility of him leaving the club.

And if he does, who could replace him?

The data seems to point towards an obvious choice.

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Why Arda Guler is the obvious replacement for Mohamed Salah

When you are thinking of replacements for Salah, the Turkish international probably doesn't seem like an exciting prospect.

There is no denying for now Guler is not even close to the levels Salah has reached during his career at Anfield.

The Real Madrid attacker is struggling to break into the starting XI at the club, although admittedly, in his defence, he is competing with some of the best players in the world in his position.

What is clear is that Guler has the exciting potential to get to the same level as Salah, and the data would suggest he also has a similar playing style to the Egyptian as well.

That is according to SciSports' database, where Anfield Watch has conducted a study to see who might be an obvious replacement for Salah and Guler was an obvious choice based on the numbers.

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Noni Madueke may have been the top of the list for Anfield Watch's criteria, which included the player being left-footed, being capable of playing as an inside forward, having a similar style to Salah and being between the ages of 16-23 years old, however the Chelsea forward is probably out of reach for the Reds.

Conversely, Guler ticks all those boxes and he would likely be available and open to a move away from Real Madrid as well considering his lack of playing time at the moment.

Not to mention his positional rivals are not old either. The likes of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are not exactly in the twilight of their careers right now.

Therefore, it's hard to see where Guler's future lies with the Spanish giants.

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But Real Madrid's loss could be Liverpool's gain. After all, Guler is still just a teenager meaning Arne Slot could mould him into whatever he wishes.

Last season Guler averaged an impressive 0.92 goals per 90 for the Spanish giants in all competitions - basically a goal almost every 90 minutes he played in.

That output is very similar to Salah, and it's exactly the criteria Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards will be looking for. Perhaps it's no surprise that Liverpool were in fact linked with a move for Guler this summer.

Guler showcased he can be a leader during Euro 2024 while Liverpool scouts watched him in attendance, playing a key role in Turkey's run to the quarter finals with three goal contributions in five matches.

That too was Salah esque, after all the Egyptian has often led Liverpool and his national team on his shoulders. The fact that Guler can do this at just 19 years old makes his feats even more impressive.

He is exactly the kind of under the radar prospect who Edwards and his data gurus would love. Not some of the bigger names like Khicha Kvaratskhelia or Leroy Sane, who have been touted as potential heirs to Salah's throne but who would also likely cost a fortune.

Guler on the other hand has a market value of just £37.5m (€45m) according to SciSports, making him very affordable for Liverpool.

That is why Guler is simply an obvious choice to replace Salah. Although we hope it won't come to that.

The priority should be for Liverpool to extend the Egyptian's deal.