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It would certainly be an end of an era if Mohamed Salah leaves Liverpool at the end of the season. The way things appear to be going at the moment, that appears a likely outcome.
There have never been any doubts about the Egyptian winger wanting to remain at Anfield for the rest of his playing days, and he himself said as much on more that one occasion. The club also want him to stay. However, no reports of a breakthrough in the talks between the club and Ramy Abbas have come, only claims that the two sides are far apart in the negotiations. Many among the supporters have been bandying about the phrase “just give him what he wants”, but it’s obviously not that simple.
At this point, it’s worth pointing out that nobody, apart from the people involved in the negotiations, knows what Salah and Abbas demand, or what Liverpool have offered so far. The gap might be in the amount of the wages, the bonuses, or perhaps the length of contract.
Another factor that may well be influencing Liverpool’s position is the fact that they’ve parted ways with some of the most important players of the Jurgen Klopp era, such as Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and most recently, Joel Matip. Being 37 at the time of his departure to Brighton and Hove Albion, James Milner was obviously a different case.
The performances of most of these players after their transfers away from Liverpool indicate that the club had made their choicees wisely, albeit a bit ruthlessly, too. However, at the age of 32, Salah doesn’t seem to be slowing down; on the contrary. The little bit of pace he appears to have lost doesn’t pose a problem – he’s developed his game in another direction, and his numbers, 67 minutes between goal contributions this season, are even more impressive than in his first season at Anfield when he scored or assisted every 71 minutes on average.
So the first question Liverpool will want to work out an answer to is, for how long can Salah keep going like this? His form and importance in the team are certain to drop at some point in the future, but how far off is that moment?
Some have pointed out that whatever earnings Salah craves, it would probably be cheaper to pay them than to sign a suitable replacement, providing one even exists. The club would likely have to pay a large transfer fee to sign a new player, and that new player would likely demand lucrative financial terms as well.
There is, however, another side to this same argument. A replacement for Salah will certainly be needed at some point in the future, and if Liverpool agree to “pay him what he wants”, they will still likely need to pay a hefty fee and wages to secure one.
Liverpool are in a practically identical situation with Virgil van Dijk. The Netherlands (and Liverpool) captain is every bit as important to the team as Salah at the moment, though a year older, and he will also be out of contract at the end of the season unless an extension is agreed. It surely weighs in on the Salah conundrum.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold, at 26, is a completely different problem. It’s very likely that Liverpool have no doubts about paying the “Scouser in their team” handsomely if that’s what it takes to keep him, but Real Madrid have been batting their eyelashes at the England international for some time now, and his decision will likely be influenced by other factors.
But when it comes to Salah (and Van Dijk as well), it’s mostly down to Liverpool and their ability to guess the longevity of his performances at the highest level. For the time being, he’s delivering big-time, with his 10 goals and 10 assists in 17 matches across all competitions playing a huge role in the Reds topping the table both in the Premier League and the Champions League.
But for how long?
That’s the question Liverpool need to ponder.