One of the options understood to have been discussed by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to replace Mohamed Salah in the summer of 2022 was Manchester United forward Antony, according to The Times journalist Paul Joyce.
At the time, the Reds star and the club were close to parting ways as an agreement over a new deal was not forthcoming.
In the end, Fenway Sports Group’s president Mike Gordon ultimately decided renewing was the sensible use of resources, which has proven to be a smart move for Liverpool.
Antony, who was at Ajax at the time, moved to Manchester United for £82 million that same summer, but things have not gone well with the Brazilian since the deal, and Klopp and the Anfield club dodged a bullet from the look of things.
The 24-year-old has bagged just 12 goals and five assists in 87 appearances since then for the Red Devils, and while things might have been better for him at a different club under a different manager, he would not have come close to replicating the numbers of Salah.
The Liverpool star has notched 65 goals and 40 assists in 112 games since then, and while they need to be preparing for life without the 32-year-old going forward, manager Arne Slot could be desperate to hold on to him beyond next summer.
The Egypt international will be able to leave the Merseyside club as a free agent at the end of the season if he does not sign a contract extension, and while talks are ongoing, there are no guarantees both parties will reach an agreement in the coming months.
Given his huge quality and influence on the pitch, replacing Salah could prove very tricky for Liverpool, and they need to get the decision right as failure to could backfire severely.
The perfect replacement will not likely come cheap whenever the Reds decide to get one, and Slot will be praying whoever they go for proves to be the best fit.
