Jurgen Klopp 'discussed' replacing Mohamed Salah with Man Utd flop Antony at Liverpool

Liverpool might have dodged an almighty bullet after it was reported that Jurgen Klopp considered replacing Mohamed Salah with Manchester United flop Antony.

The Times reports that Klopp had earmarked Antony as a possible summer addition in 2022, when there was uncertainty around Salah's future at the club.

The Egyptian's deal was due to expire the following year and Liverpool was in the process of considering replacements to take Salah's spot on the right wing.

Thankfully for the Reds, Salah ended up signing a three-year extension in 2022 to keep him at the club until 2025. Meanwhile, Antony ended up joining United, where he has endured a torrid spell.

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Antony has contributed just 12 goals and five assists in 87 appearances since joining United, while Salah has registered 65 goals and 40 assists in 112 appearances for Liverpool across the same period.

Just as it did a few years ago, Liverpool finds itself in a tricky situation regarding Salah's future, with the 32-year-old set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

Salah has started this season in outstanding form, registering 10 goals and 10 assists already, but he has given little away regarding his plans for the future.

Salah is one of three key players who are set to become free agents at the end of the current campaign. Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all been integral to Liverpool's most successful period in decades, but all three players are into the final eight months of their contracts.

Of the three players, Van Dijk has been the most publicly vocal about his wish to stay at Liverpool, saying in September that he wants to remain at the club until at least the 2026 World Cup.

Then, last month he provided an update on negotiations: “I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know, we will see what happens in the future. My full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. What the future will bring I have no idea at the moment. I can only tell you that discussions have been started and we will see.”

Alexander-Arnold said in September that he has no intention of letting his contract talks play out in public, while Salah, besides making a couple of statements that have been branded cryptic in some quarters, has not hinted at whether he would rather stay or leave.