Mohamed Salah has made it clear the striker Liverpool should sign

has already hinted that he prefers to play with a deep-lying forward in a message that might be heeded by Liverpool's recruitment team this summer. The Egyptian capped one of his best seasons at Anfield by extending his contract until 2027.

Liverpool are expected to sign a new centre-forward this summer. Newcastle's Alexander Isak and Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike have both been linked. However, both could be difficult to attract and the Reds may move on to other targets. A player in the mould of former hero Roberto Firmino could be the ideal addition. Speaking in a Q&A with fans last year, Salah revealed that the Brazilian was once his favourite team-mate to line up alongside.

"Who do I most like to play with? It was Firmino. Now I feel like I generally like playing with Nunez," the Egyptian said on Zoom. "A lot of people don't like him but I like playing with him. I see Bahaa (the man who asked the question) keeps shaking his head, not liking [Nunez].

"Nah, I like playing with him in general. [Nunez is] a player with different skills. Not a lot of people understand his ball."

Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane made up one of Liverpool's most famous front lines. Centre-forward Firmino would drop deep with Salah and Mane making diagonal runs from the wings and in behind the opposition defence.

The prolific triumvirate landed a Premier League and a Champions League title during the peak of their powers. Having fired Liverpool to another league success as the only remaining member of that front three, Salah will hope those within the Anfield hierarchy identify the right target to make the most of his ability.

If Liverpool do sign a player in Firmino's mould, the dream addition would be Julian Alvarez. The former Manchester City star now plays for Atletico Madrid, but has already been loosely linked with a surprise exit only a year after making that move.

Another option could be Jonathan David, who will leave Lille on a free transfer in the summer. Several other Premier League clubs have been linked with the Canadian, who has scored at least 20 goals in each of the past three seasons.

Liverpool's current centre-forward options have struggled for goals this term. An upgrade on Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota is likely to be sourced. Arne Slot has even used winger Luis Diaz as a No. 9 at times.