Recently, The Athletic wrote a long article analyzing the reasons why Salah has not yet renewed his contract with Liverpool. The article believes that both Salah and Liverpool have their own calculations, needing to consider many factors, and therefore have not been able to reach an agreement on a renewal.
Why did Liverpool let Salah enter the final year of his contract?
Salah was once targeted by Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, and Liverpool firmly rejected two offers, with the second offer reaching £150 million. After Klopp announced his departure at the end of last season, Liverpool had to deal with the tough issues of changing coaches and management changes, leading to the inability to address Salah’s contract issue in a timely manner.
Under the current contract, Salah’s basic weekly wage is £350,000, and the contract also includes bonuses linked to match performance and honors.
What does Salah think?
Since Salah joined in 2020, Liverpool have won three cup finals, but Salah has only played a key role in one of them. The other two became spectators due to injury. During the same period, Liverpool missed out on two Premier League titles and one Champions League title, so Salah hopes to help Liverpool win the title again. He also knows that winning the title can give him more voice.
After Klopp’s departure, Liverpool need to assess Salah’s value and position in the new system. At the same time, Salah himself wants to see how competitive Liverpool really is in the “post-Klopp era”, so he is not in a hurry to commit to his future.
Salah is currently very relaxed and has a completely open attitude towards his future.
What does Liverpool think?
From the past operations of Fenway Sports Group, they value financial stability the most and are unwilling to offer long-term contracts to players over 30. Moreover, once Liverpool is pressured to lock Salah with a long-term contract, the management is also worried that it will be difficult to find a suitable replacement at that time.
How important is it for Liverpool to keep Salah?
If Salah leaves, his new club will determine how much pressure the KOP will put on the club. Liverpool fans can accept Salah going to the Saudi Pro League for a high salary, after all, Fenway Sports Group is indeed financially limited. However, if Salah stays in European football, or even joins another Premier League club, fans may completely erupt.
From Salah’s perspective, as long as he does not go to Manchester City or Manchester United, his glory and legacy at Liverpool will not be affected in any way. Even if he joins a London team, he will still be a hero in the hearts of Liverpool fans.
Liverpool’s headache is that once Salah leaves, it will be difficult to find another stable goalscorer who can contribute at least 25 goals in four consecutive seasons. Before that, Fenway Sports Group has learned a valuable lesson from the departures of Mane and Firmino: It’s easier to let a good player leave than to find another good player.
What is the most likely outcome?
Even if Al-Ittihad can offer a lucrative contract, Salah may not necessarily be willing to play in Saudi Arabia. He and his family love living in the UK and don’t have to worry about being bothered like they are in Egypt. In addition, Salah has always hoped that the outside world would only see him as a “player”, without involving other factors such as religion and politics. In terms of football, Salah may also have doubts about the level of competition in the Saudi Pro League.
If he is unable to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League in the future, Salah may also move to Major League Soccer. Salah’s commercial revenue currently mainly relies on the Western market, and Egypt is also very confident in obtaining a place in the North American World Cup finals. Although MLS teams cannot offer Saudi Pro League level salaries, the living environment in the United States will not be much different from the living environment in England.
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