Liverpool are reportedly planning to sign Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmoush to replace Mohamed Salah, who has described his countryman as a "unique talent".
Salah has forged himself into a Liverpool icon during his near seven-and-a-half-year stint on Merseyside, scoring a whopping 221 goals and adding 99 assists in his 366 appearances for the Reds so far.
Currently operating at a goal contribution every 1.14 appearances, the 32-year-old has returned to his very best form this season with 10 goals and 10 assists from 17 games already.
However, that relationship is tipped to end next summer when Salah falls out of contract at Anfield. And with a free transfer beckoning, a concerning report on Saturday claimed his future has already been decided with his next move now mapped out.
Understandably, Liverpool are scouring the market for potential replacements. In recent weeks, that hunt has appeared to shorten to just two very different players in Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo and Eintracht Frankfurt hotshot Marmoush.
German publication Bild claims transfer talks over a deal to take Marmoush to Anfield have now begun with the Reds ascertaining the costs around the potential deal.
Now Salah has given his verdict on Marmoush but insists comparison between himself and his countrymen do the Frankfurt star no favours.
"Omar Marmoush, incredibly talented and currently a key player for his club and the national team," Salah told Egyptian outlet WinWin. "But I hope he can stay away from comparisons because they will keep putting him under constant pressure.
"I just want him to avoid the idea of comparisons. People need to stop comparing him to me, saying he's 'the new Salah' and that he'll do what I did or even better, this doesn't help him; it only puts him under constant pressure.
"You can't compare him to a player who has achieved so much over the years while he's just starting out. Let him live his own experience and enjoy it. He's doing something different, in his own unique way."
Per Bild, any deal for Marmoush will not come cheap with the Bundesliga side currently valuing the star in the €60m (£50m, $63.7m) bracket.
That figure will likely continue to rise if Marmoush builds on his impressive start to the season that has seen the 25-year-old notch 14 goals and 10 assists from 16 matches so far.
Understandably, Frankfurt want to keep hold of their prized asset and it's believed they want to retain his services until the end of the current season at least.
Frankfurt are currently third in the Bundesliga, winning six of their 10 games so far - a record that currently places them higher than reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen.
