Liverpool’s massive investment in Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak hasn’t been a mistake, and the club sees all three as vital pieces for its long-term future. But one former Reds star has hinted that the triple signing could eventually force Mohamed Salah out of the picture at Anfield.
The Premier League champions splashed big money in the summer to strengthen from a position of power and build the foundations of a new trophy-winning era. Yet just three months into the campaign, Liverpool are already out of the Carabao Cup and trail Arsenal by eight points in the title race. With doubts growing over whether the club moved too aggressively, questions are being raised about the logic behind the expensive arrivals of Isak and Wirtz, who have yet to justify their combined £241m price tag.
Speaking exclusively to TEAMtalk, former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison defended the decisions, insisting all three signings were necessary — and predicting they will show their real value when Salah leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt next month.
Hutchison said he doesn’t believe the Reds will consider the Isak deal a waste, but admitted the biggest dilemma may involve Salah himself. He suggested that fitting Ekitike, Isak and Wirtz into the same starting XI could come at the Egyptian’s expense.
He proposed a system with Kerkez and Bradley as wing-backs and Szoboszlai alongside Gravenberch in midfield — a setup that could leave no room for the club’s third-highest scorer of all time. Hutchison believes AFCON could mark the ideal moment to begin phasing Salah out, especially with the forward turning 34 by the end of the season despite signing a new two-year contract in April.
Hutchison added that every top Premier League side would love to have talents like Wirtz, Isak and Salah, but Arne Slot must now find a way to make their coexistence work — particularly with Ekitike also demanding minutes. After such big spending, he argues the trio must become guaranteed starters.
He suggested Liverpool should commit to playing all three consistently from now until the end of the season, allowing them to build form, chemistry and momentum. That, he says, is the core of Liverpool’s future.
And the harsh reality, according to Hutchison, is that the difficult conversation now centres on Salah — and whether the AFCON period becomes the moment Liverpool tests life without him.
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