Liverpool's Next Right-Sided Attacker: The Case for Matias Soule

Liverpool once again find themselves staring at a familiar crossroads: a gaping space on the right of their attack and a market that looks painfully short on answers.

They have been here before. When Mohamed Salah arrived from Roma in 2017, he was not the global superstar who leaves Anfield now. He was a talented winger with a patchy Premier League past at Chelsea, a player whose reputation lagged far behind his numbers in Italy. Some saw a gamble. Liverpool saw an opportunity.

They were right. From his very first outings in red, Salah tore into defences and never really stopped. He departs as one of Liverpool’s greatest players of all time and one of the most prolific forwards English football has ever seen. That outcome was not preordained. It was built on smart recruitment, conviction, and a willingness to trust the data over the noise.

This summer demands the same clarity.

Salah’s exit has left Liverpool hunting for a new right-sided attacker in a market that, by any measure, is thin. The options are either not good enough, not available, or wildly overpriced. Yan Diomande choosing Paris Saint-Germain underlined the problem. A prime target gone, and with him, a slice of Liverpool’s planning.

Into that gap steps a name that will not dominate headlines but should be on Liverpool’s radar: Matias Soule.

The Argentine, currently at Roma, fits a profile that ought to be ringing bells at Anfield. His output last season placed him among a very select group of right wingers in Europe in terms of value and end product. Only Lamine Yamal, Maghnes Akliouche and Dango Ouattara offered similar levels of contribution under the age of 24.

The difference? Soule is actually there to be taken.

Roma are open to selling. Reports in Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that a bid of around €40 million would be enough to do a deal. In a market where unproven wide players routinely change hands for far more, that figure jumps off the page.

For that price, Liverpool would be getting a 23-year-old capable of operating across the line behind the striker, comfortable on the right but adaptable in multiple attacking roles. Crucially, his numbers tell a story that his broader reputation has not yet caught up with. He creates, he scores, he influences games. Quietly, efficiently, without the fanfare of more fashionable names.

That should sound familiar.

When Liverpool moved for Salah, the perception of him in England still revolved around his brief, underwhelming spell at Chelsea. The reality was different. His performances for Roma painted the picture of a player ready to explode at the highest level. Liverpool backed the evidence over the narrative and were rewarded with an era-defining signing.

Soule is not Salah. Expecting anyone to touch those heights would be unfair. But the pattern is striking: a Roma attacker, undervalued by the wider market, with underlying numbers that suggest there is far more to come.

The right-wing pool is shallow, the prices are inflated, and Liverpool need both quality and value. In that landscape, a 23-year-old with Soule’s production and versatility at around €40 million is not just interesting. It is exactly the kind of opportunity this club built its recent success on.

The question now is whether Liverpool still trust that instinct — and whether they are prepared to lean into another Roma gamble that might just change the shape of their attack for years to come.