Liverpool don't need 27-goal star, Richard Hughes already found their Mohamed Salah successor

Liverpool don't need 27-goal star, Richard Hughes already found their Mohamed Salah successor The Egyptian King announced that he'd be exiting L4 a couple of months before the end of the season. And, since he gave the Reds so much time to try and figure out who they could bring in to fill the void he'd leave behind, most fans thought that replacing the attacker would be on top of Liverpool's priority list . Indeed, they did end up bringing two new attackers in but, since none of them are natural right-wingers, Liverpool ended up with four left-wingers to try and fill out their attack. Obviously, versatility is a key part of being a footballer these days so they'll be able to put a shift in no matter what. And, despite fans being annoyed about not signing a direct replacement for Salah , it feels like Richard Hughes somehow managed to accomplish it before he left. Cody Gakpo's form will help him become Liverpool's Mohamed Salah successor Since Liverpool now have four left-wingers among their first-team squad, they will need to chop and change their team fairly often. Andoni Iraola made a habit of this at Bournemouth and, while the core of his team stayed the same, there were some regular features. And, unless Cody Gakpo ends up getting injured , it feels like he's going to be one of them. From the very start of the 2026-27 season, Gakpo has been one of Liverpool's most important players with his goals and assists helping keep Liverpool's unbeaten record intact. His partnership with Alexander Isak has been a sight to behold and, his 90-minute outing during Liverpool's 3-1 win against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup was another excellent performance. He managed to play a part in two of Liverpool's goals and even got off two key passes throughout the game. Admittedly, last season, it looked like the Dutchman had gone past his best. However, under Iraola, he looks like a completely different player with his keen eye for goal and leadership skills two of the key reasons why Gakpo could end up being Liverpool's replacement for Salah . Liverpool tried their very best to sign Yankuba Minteh in the summer but now they don't need him Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr were the two right-wingers who were the closest to joining Liverpool in the summer. These last-ditch moves made it clear that the Anfield outfit knew that not having a natural right-winger among their ranks was a problem. But, since they were so desperate to bring one in, clubs took advantage of this and tried their best to squeeze as much money as possible out of the. Of the two options, Minteh, who's scored 27 goals throughout his career, was the most exciting option due to his age and experience. And, while Sarr has more experience, he's going to turn 29 soon and, since he's not managed to score more than nine Premier League goals in a season yet, it's clear that he's reached his ceiling. Each of these players would have cost Liverpool an extortionate amount of money in 2027 so, the fact that Gakpo is in some of his best form ever really plays in the Reds' favour. At the moment, it doesn't really feel like Liverpool need an attacker so, as long as Gakpo keeps in this run of form, everything should be fine. Or, that is certainly what Iraola will be hoping.