Next Mohamed Salah? Why the heir to Egyptian King’s crown will not be under ‘pressure’ as Reds legend John Barnes reacts to Trabzonspor decision

Despite having a year left to run on his contract with Premier League heavyweights from Merseyside, it was revealed back in March that Salah would be allowed to find a new club this summer as a free agent.

A switch to the Saudi Pro League had been mooted for some time, with lucrative deals on offer there, while several sides from across Europe - including a few in Serie A - were said to have expressed interest in a man that won nine trophies with Liverpool and scored 257 goals.

Rather than head for the Middle East, or join Lionel Messi in MLS, Salah has penned a two-year contract in Turkey. He will be under pressure to deliver, with the most passionate of fans to be found in that part of the world, and the 34-year-old playmaker is clearly not ready to go through the motions just yet.

On Salah’s decision to try his luck in the Super Lig, Liverpool legend Barnes - speaking exclusively to GOAL in association with 247Bet - said: “Well, what other option do you have? We don't know. Easy option probably, we don't know whether the Saudi thing came back. We don't know. It was there last year. Is it there this year?

“Mo Salah was never going to be the same player last year as he was the year before. Which meant that I think he probably stayed a year too long. You know, had he gone to Saudi then of course he would have been, I'm not saying given up on football but he would have made his money playing in front of 2,000 people. Whereas now he's gone to a league whereby he still will be judged because that's a good league.

“They're not one of the best teams in the league. They're not a Besiktas or a Fenerbahce. So obviously I respect him for the fact that he's gone to a club like that whereby he's still going to have to perform. So yeah, only time will tell as to what lies in store for Mo Salah.”

Liverpool were expected to spend big on bringing in a ready-made replacement for Salah. That has not been the case, with £34.5 million ($47m) being invested in the potential of Spain international Victor Munoz.

Could household names be put off by the prospect of being constantly compared to the man that went before them on the Reds’ right wing? When that question was put to Barnes, the two-time First Division title winner said: “They're not going to be necessarily compared to Mo because they will be playing in a different way. Because of course a new manager plays in a different style.

“New managers play you in that role, but you're going to create for somebody else to score rather than score yourself. You're not filling Mo's shoes. You're playing differently. So you're not coming to be Mo Salah, you're coming to be yourself.

“And if you sign someone to play in that role, unless you're going to sign a Mo Salah lookalike or a playalike, which I don't think you're going to, then you're not coming there to do what Mo did.

“So if you can create goals and not score goals and the team's still winning, that's what you're there to do. You're not there to replace Mo.

“The whole team has to play in a better way because when Mo was there last year, we didn't play particularly well or finish anywhere. That's what you're coming to do. You're not replacing Mo Salah from five years ago who scored lots of goals. So yeah, I don't think that any player coming to Liverpool would be under pressure to do that.”

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, with the Champions League-winning France international seemingly looking for a way out of Parc des Princes. He is also said to be of interest to Arsenal.

Andoni Iraola has until September 1 to make any more additions to his ranks, having inherited managerial reins at Anfield from Arne Slot, with the Spanish tactician becoming the first coach in nine years that will be unable to call upon the mercurial talents of Salah.