Mohamed Salah out, Kylian Mbappe in – Liverpool's
Liverpool have once again been linked with Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, so we simulated next season with the Frenchman in the Reds' squad, with one big absentee.
The biannual Kylian Mbappe to Liverpool rumours are starting to circulate once again, but what could happen if he actually signed for the Reds?
Mbappe has reportedly been a long-term target for Liverpool, and with the Frenchman out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain this summer, the Reds have once again been linked with a move for Mbappe alongside favourites Real Madrid. The 25-year-old is free to negotiate with foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, though it would be an extremely complicated deal for Jurgen Klopp's side financially.
If Liverpool were to make a move for Mbappe, some funds would have to be freed in the wage book, and after being strongly linked with a move away from Anfield to Saudi Arabia last summer, a move away for Mohamed Salah may be needed to allow the potential arrival of Mbappe.
But, if Liverpool were to sell Salah and sign Mbappe, would it really be worth it? We simulated the 2024/25 season with Mbappe at Liverpool and Salah in Saudi Arabia to see how the move could impact the Reds.
To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to move Mbappe to Liverpool and Salah to Al Ittihad in the summer transfer window before simulating the 2024/25 season. This is how the Frenchman performed at the Reds.
As expected, Mbappe quickly became Klopp's star man in attack, with the Frenchman making more appearances than any other player in his first season at Liverpool. His impact was instant, and at the end of the season, Mbappe topped all the stats for the Reds.
In 49 appearances, the forward scored 26 goals and grabbed 12 assists in all competitions, more than any other player at the club.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, Football Manager 2023 put together an overall best Liverpool XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like.
After putting up Salah-like numbers, Mbappe made Liverpool's best XI on the left of the front three, with Diogo Jota through the middle and Luis Diaz on the right. Darwin Nunez was the club's second top scorer with 21 goals, but he didn't make the best XI due to Jota averaging a better rating.
Real Madrid's Edouard Camavinga was also signed during the simulation, and the Frenchman made the Liverpool best XI in midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. With Mbappe leading the line, the Reds were fantastic in the Premier League, and the World Cup winner scored some vital goals as Liverpool lifted the 2024/25 Premier League trophy.
Another fantastic season saw Liverpool pick up 95 points in the Premier League, winning 29, drawing eight and losing just one game all season – the one defeat being a frustrating 1-0 loss away to West Ham United.
Manchester City led the title race for the majority of the season, but three defeats and two draws in their final 12 games saw Pep Guardiola's side end the campaign four points behind the Reds. Not only did Liverpool win the league with Mbappe, but the Frenchman played a vital part in the Reds winning a second trophy in his first season on Merseyside.