Liverpool’s €100m Salah replacement wins 2025 Ballon d’Or vote

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 15 Mar 2025 07:02 CDT
• 12 min read

News

Liverpool are seeking to sign a replacement for Mohamed Salah who has already beaten the Egypt international in a vote for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Salah has enjoyed a stunning season yet faltered as Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League against PSG in midweek.

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Current ETV

Mohamed Salah

F (CR), M (R)

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

F (CR), M (R)

Liverpool

€30.2M

ETV Range

€27.1M - €33.2M

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With speculation raging over the future of the Egypt international star, who is out of contract in the summer and tipped for a move to the Saudi Pro League, the Reds are reportedly lining up a €100 million bid for Ousmane Dembele, whose goal for PSG was vital in the aforementioned tie.

Fichajes claims that Dembele’s recent form has rekindled their interest in the winger and a club-record bid is possible.

After a difficult spell at Barcelona, who signed him for €135 million from Borussia Dortmund, the France attacker is on fire having been able to maintain his fitness for a prolonged period of time. He has 21 goals since the start of the year, which is more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.

Unsurprisingly, data from SciSports shows that Dembele is currently the best winger in Ligue 1 – well ahead of Evann Guessand (Nice), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Monaco) or team-mate Desire Doue, who has been called up to the France squad for the first time.

Dembele vs Ligue 1 wingers: Overall performance 2024/25

Dembele vs Salah: Playing style

Whether Dembele can replace Salah at Liverpool is doubtful. While the Anfield favourite is primarily a wide playmaker, the Frenchman more typically features as an inside forward for PSG – and not a wide playmaker at all. This means he dribbles more towards the heart of the park compared to Salah, who receives the ball more centrally to create chances from that area.

Dembele wins Ballon d’Or vote

There is little doubt that Dembele has been one of the outstanding players in world football this season, with his exploits in recent weeks thrusting him into the heart of the Ballon d’Or conversation along with Salah and Barcelona ace Raphinha.

Indeed, in a poll commissioned by L’Equipe, Dembele was the runaway winner of the prize, securing 40.9% of the vote.

Of course, this is to be taken with more than a pinch of salt given the strong French bias of the publication, but it was surprising to see Raphinha (25%) come in comprehensively ahead of Salah (7.4%), who also lagged Lamine Yamal (8.8%).