Michael Olise is perfect Mohamed Salah heir and Liverpool should be confident of transfer

Liverpool is already being linked with Michael Olise, such is the insatiable appetite of the transfer rumor mill. The Reds have just made sweeping, record-breaking additions to their attack — and yet all the same, a future raid on Bayern Munich to replace Mohamed Salah makes a great deal of sense.

For all the business Liverpool has done, nobody fits the mold as a Salah heir. Perhaps you could make the case that Isak is the long-term replacement as the main source of goals, but that still leaves a vacancy on the right wing once the Egyptian hangs up his boots.

With the talent already at Slot's disposal, there would be ways of "replacing" Salah within the existing group, tweaking the system to field Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Cody Gakpo together. And given Rio Ngumoha's obvious sky-high potential, some might wonder if he could eventually find a home on the right.

But if Liverpool showed one thing this summer, it's that it has no interest in putting a cap on its own ambitions. Isak came through the door after Ekitike had already been recruited — Arne Slot would rather be spoiled for choice than risk being short on options.

And Olise fits into the same category of potential game-changers. While his talent was obvious in the Premier League, it has become apparent since he joined Bayern Munich that he is among the very best in the world.

For reference, Ekitike is the same age as Olise, and only just managed to earn his first France caps (two short cameos that looked more designed to keep him out of the Cameroon setup than anything else). The Bayern star is up to 10 caps, and his place is no longer up for any significant debate.

In his first season in the Bundesliga, Olise racked up 12 goals and 18 assists, eye-catching numbers even in a side as dominant as Bayern Munich. The all-time assist record for a single season is held by Thomas Muller with 21 — and he only managed eight goals that year.

At 23, Olise is yet to even hit his peak. That should arrive within the next few years, an exciting prospect.

Throughout most of footballing history, Liverpool would therefore have had to consider Olise out of reach. Even at their peak, the Reds have rarely gone for the absolute foremost stars of the game, territory toward which the Frenchman is rapdily heading.

But times are changing. And while Bayern Munich would be a hugely reluctant seller, Liverpool has reason to be confident that it could get a deal done.

For one thing, the financial strength of the Premier League is at an all-time high. Even the traditional European giants are being left behind by the wealth of the English top flight, which delivers more revenue than the Bundesliga and La Liga combined.

And even among the English clubs, Liverpool is just about at the top of the food chain. It lured Wirtz ahead of not only Bayern but also Manchester City, and it extracted potentially the best striker in the world out of Newcastle.

Meanwhile, German legends like Michael Ballack are questioning whether Bayern is really still a genuine end-game destination for the world's best players. He believes the Bundesliga is declining in status:

"Fundamentally, I'm concerned about something else," Ballack said. "Let's take Wirtz as an example: Does it make sense for him and his development to play in the Bundesliga for Bayern for another two or three years?

"Of course he wins championships there, but is the Bundesliga still a challenge for him at the highest level? No, because the Bundesliga was overtaken by the Premier League years ago.

"That's the reality, that's why it's generally no longer as attractive for the absolute top players. That's why changes are needed."

Getting into the specifics, Bayern does at least have the protection of a contract until 2029 with Olise. Newcastle just learned that this isn't a foolproof shield, but the German champion will be reasonably confident it retains enough status to prevent the jewel of its crown actively going on strike to force through a move to Anfield.

However, modern clubs have to think many steps ahead. By next summer, 2029 will be just 3 years away, and in this day and age that triggers something of a countdown.

Come 2027, Bayern would certainly need to think about either renewing or selling. And with Salah's contract at Liverpool up in the same year, that may prove to be perfect timing.

By then, Liverpool may well have had an intervening quiet summer, ready to gear up for an assault on Olise. Bayern Munich would surely do business at the right price, albeit reluctantly, to avoid the risk of a free transfer.

Olise, who would no doubt be enticed by the idea of taking over from Salah, would be the final piece of Liverpool's attacking puzzle. With the Frenchman and Wirtz feeding Isak and Ekitike, Anfield could have its attack for the next half-decade or more.

His rare blend of creativity and end product make him uniquely qualified to follow Salah, who in recent years has become creator-in-chief on top of his goal-scoring burden. And as a natural left-footer, he could fit in without needing to alter the system.

By the time 2027 rolls around, getting Olise might require a bid that breaks records all over again. But Liverpool is operating within a structure that makes such moves possible through careful long-term planning — and the 23-year-old looks like the perfect plan for a future without Salah.