Salah is doing Salah things, just somewhere else now

It was always going to happen. You don't spend nine years becoming one of the greatest players in Liverpool's history and then quietly fade into a gentler football life. Mohamed Salah left Anfield this summer by mutual consent, and the romantics among us were quietly hoping he might slow down just enough to let us all move on. He has done precisely the opposite.

At Trabzonspor, the 34-year-old has turned the Turkish Super Lig into his personal highlight reel. The opening weeks were rocky enough, an early Europa League exit and a managerial resignation gave the whole venture an air of chaos, but Salah has cut through the noise with the sort of ruthless efficiency that Kopites know all too well. A hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of league leaders Galatasaray was followed by an assist in a 3-0 win over Samsunspor. Seven appearances in, his record stands at seven goals and three assists, ten goal contributions in his first seven league matches.

According to Opta, he is the first player to reach that benchmark in the opening seven matches of a Turkish Super Lig season since records of that kind began in 2014/15. Remarkable. Maddening. Entirely predictable, if you think about it.

Gerrard names Liverpool's defensive future

While Salah writes new chapters elsewhere, the conversation at Anfield is increasingly turning to who carries this squad forward. Virgil van Dijk is 35 and out of contract at the end of this season, and the question of what comes after him at the heart of Liverpool's defence is one the club cannot afford to leave unanswered for long.

Step forward Jeremy Jacquet. The defender arrived from Rennes and has clearly made an impression on more than just the coaching staff. Steven Gerrard, speaking to SPORTbible, was enthusiastic in his assessment: "I love him, I've been very impressed with him from the opening pre-season friendlies. I think he's got a composure and a fantastic profile and he can move. I think there's still a bit of rawness about him. But I think there's another level which he can get to and I think he's going to be the perfect replacement for Virg in a year or two because he's really helped solidify that back four."

High praise, and from someone who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a leader at Liverpool. The rawness Gerrard acknowledges is honest, this is not a finished article, but the bones of a long-term defensive cornerstone are evidently there. Van Dijk's partnership with Jacquet, by the sound of it, is working precisely as the club would have hoped: knowledge being transferred, standards being set, a succession being managed rather than scrambled for.

What comes next for the Reds on two fronts

More immediately, Liverpool's attention is fixed on the Champions League and a Wednesday trip to Austrian side LASK. The European campaign is already up and running after a comeback win over Atletico Madrid, courtesy of goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, and the momentum needs to carry into a demanding week that also includes a trip to Brentford on Saturday.

The injury situation adds a layer of anxiety to both fixtures. Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both missed the Manchester City match with knocks picked up during the international break, and Andoni Iraola will be keen to have them available again as soon as possible. The schedule shows no mercy, and the squad depth will be tested before the week is out.

Look a little further ahead and the transfer picture becomes equally pressing. Left-back remains an area of persistent concern, and the squad imbalance that has been discussed all season has not resolved itself. The next couple of windows could be defining ones, and the Jacquet situation is a reminder that when Liverpool do their recruitment right, the results can shape a club for years.