Insider: Mo Salah could hold the key as to whether or not £44m forward is at Liverpool next season

One insider has claimed that Mo Salah could hold the key as to whether or not Cody Gakpo is still at Liverpool next season.

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The Egyptian still has 16 months remaining on his contract at Anfield, but numerous pundits have predicted that he’ll move on in the summer, following a campaign in which his performances have come in for heavy criticism.

His fellow winger has also been subjected to some scathing scrutiny in recent weeks and months, and transfer reporter Pete O’Rourke claimed that FSG could be open to offers for the Dutchman if they were to bring in another wide attacker later this year.

Mick Brown claims Gakpo’s future could be contingent on Salah

Ex-Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown also believes that the 26-year-old could potentially depart Liverpool in the summer, but only if Salah were to stay put at Anfield.

He told Football Insider: “Gakpo is somebody who could have left last summer. He was one of a few players who were spoken about, these attacking players at Liverpool who haven’t quite been as impressive as Slot may have hoped.

“He ended up staying, but his performances this season haven’t done much to change the opinion that he might be a bit below the level they hope for. In that case, if a huge offer comes in from somewhere like Bayern Munich, then I’m sure they’ll listen and be prepared to let him move on.

“The problem is, Mohamed Salah is going to play a big part because there’s a big chance he could leave Liverpool and they won’t want too much change. After everything that happened last summer and the chaos of it all, I can’t see Liverpool letting more than one attacker leave. Otherwise it just adds to the unsettled feeling.

“A lot will depend on what happens with Salah. If he leaves, I expect they’ll keep Gakpo, and if he stays then maybe Gakpo will go instead.”

Are Liverpool likely to sanction exits for both Salah and Gakpo?

Liverpool’s forward line underwent significant turnover last summer with the sales of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez and the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, so there may be a reluctance at boardroom level to sanction another major overhaul this year.

As Brown says, it’s plausible that one out of Salah or Gakpo could depart if attractive offers were to come in for either, but it seems unlikely that both would be sold unless the bids were simply too irresistible to turn down.

Outgoing deals could also be contingent on whether the Reds sign one or more wingers in the upcoming transfer window, with the likes of Yan Diomande and Michael Olise continuing to be linked with a potential move to Anfield in the summer.

Despite the two current Liverpool wingers being heavily criticised this season, both have continued to be near-automatic starters under Arne Slot, who’s been slow to trust in positional alternatives Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha.

It seems to us that FSG wouldn’t be necessarily yearning to offload either Salah or Gakpo, but could be receptive to offers for both players depending on the nature of the bids and whether the individuals would be keen on departing Merseyside.

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