Updated: 6 May 2026 17:40 BST |
5 min read
Liverpool have identified Borussia Monchengladbach winger Franck Honorat as a surprising name to potentially replace Mohamed Salah.
Last year, the Premier League champions spent more than €480 million on new signings. The attack got a major refit – with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak all coming on board.
While these arrivals have had different levels of success, last year’s transfer business means that the centre of the attack is no longer an area of concern, meaning that the club will prioritise improvements out wide.
Mohamed Salah has announced that he is leaving Anfield after reaching an agreement to terminate his big-money contract a year early to allow him to freely choose his next club. Federico Chiesa is very likely to join the Egyptian on the exit ramp amid interest from Italy.
With Jeremie Frimpong unconvincing in his outings thus far – and struggling to stay fit on a consistent basis – right-wing is now unsurprisingly emerging as an area to be worked on.
Big-name players like Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola have been mentioned as potential Liverpool acquisitions in recent weeks, but Anfield Watch reports that another, slightly more niche name is also on the Reds’ radar.
Liverpool monitoring Franck Honorat
It is understood that Borussia Monchengladbach winger Franck Honorat has emerged as a name that is now being considered by Richard Hughes and Arne Slot. Liverpool are monitoring the Frenchman and have even sent staff to watch the winger in person.
Unlike Salah, the 29-year-old is more of a classic winger. He is right-footed and likes to get down the outside to put crosses into the box. This season, he has created 45 chances for Gladbach, making six assists, putting in 37 successful crosses.
He has crossed the ball 79 times from open play – per official Bundesliga statistics – enough to put him joint-fifth in the league’s overall total. The former Brest winger appears to be the right kind of profile to service Isak – who Slot admitted was missing a player with those characteristics.
Isak enjoyed his most productive spell in a Newcastle shirt when he had Jacob Murphy constantly whipping in crosses from the right last season. He simply hasn’t had that at Liverpool (when he’s been fit) to date.
Honorat eyeing up Champions League move
Honorat came through at the OGC Nice academy but made his name at Stade Brestois when he signed there in 2020. He performed well for three solid seasons before moving to the Bundesliga with Gladbach for around €8m in 2023.
Since then, Honorat has been a somewhat under-the-radar hit in German football – scoring nine times and providing 26 assists across his time with the Bundesliga strugglers. He is under contract with his current club until 2029, having agreed an extension last summer.
In March, he made it known that he was eyeing up an exit with a view to a move to a top European club. “I’ve spent my time here,” he told Foot Mercato.
“I’ve seen pretty much everything. If I give my all for three months and a Champions League or Europa League club comes calling – why not? It would be a dream for me to play in European competition.”
Analysis: Honorat would be a left field but shrewd signing
On the face of it, it seems surprising that Liverpool would look at a 29-year-old as a potential replacement for Salah. Honorat is not near the level of the Egyptian.
Indeed, it seems unlikely that he would be the club’s sole Salah replacement. Surely if a move were to materialise, the Frenchman would be a depth transfer more in the mould of Chiesa.
In that context, he would actually be a shrewd signing. Throwing him on late in games to cause havoc and make something happen with his crossing would be the best way to utilise him.
He is Gladbach’s most talented attacker, but that isn’t saying much considering that the Foals have mightily struggled in the Bundesliga in recent seasons. They were in a relegation battle for pretty much all of this term. Honorat does not have much competition.
Still, he is a very tidy player and could notch some goal contributions coming off the bench for a club like Liverpool. Gladbach will try to turn a profit on him, which means that the Reds could likely get a deal done for a fee in the region of €12m-€15m.
His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has dropped to €11.4m this month, down from €12.7m in April.
Related stories:
Arne Slot set for Liverpool stay after rejecting move to European giants
Arsenal given Isak-shaped warning amid Livramento, Tonali and Gordon interest
Transfer Rumours: Ederson pushed to Man Utd as Arsenal move for alternative
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