Mohamed Salah is likely one of the three Liverpool stars of their remaining yr of contract, and his future has consequently been a topic of heavy hypothesis over the past couple of months. His personal statements, repeatedly suggesting this might be his final season at Anfield, have solely added gasoline to the fireplace.
Liverpool rejected a proposal of £150 million from Al-Ittihad in 2023 for Salah, and the curiosity of the Saudi Professional League aspect endures nonetheless. And with the prospect of buying such a participant on a free switch turning into extra possible by the day, Actual Madrid and Barcelona are believed to have raised their heads above the parapet too.
Nonetheless, in accordance with the Mirror, all their hopes of touchdown the Egyptian with out compensation have been dashed. The talks between Liverpool and Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas have lastly yielded outcomes and an settlement has been reached.
The cash was by no means an issue – at Liverpool they’re conscious that Salah’s significance warrants big wages, however the size of the proposed contract was an impediment the 2 events discovered troublesome to work round. Abbas needed to safe a three-year engagement for his shopper, whereas the membership supplied just one yr, being reluctant to supply long-term offers to gamers of their thirties. Ultimately, the events met within the center and the 32-year-old winger will now be tied to Liverpool for 2 extra years, beginning subsequent summer season.
Salah certainly hasn’t proven any indicators of slowing down simply but. With 13 targets in 14 matches this season, he at the moment tops the Premier League goalscoring chart forward of Manchester Metropolis star Erling Haaland. In all competitions, he has 27 purpose involvements (15 targets, 12 assists) in 21 video games.
Salah’s future has actually been a troublesome problem for Liverpool to resolve, and offering the report is correct, the eye will now possible flip to Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch defender is in the identical boat as Salah, together with his contract set to run out on the finish of the season, and although he’s a yr older than Salah, his high quality and influence on the pitch are at least these of the Egyptian.
Like Salah, Van Dijk is unlikely to just accept a one-year deal, and it stays to be seen if the membership are ready to make one other compromise on that entrance.
Van Dijk’s reactions on the pitch aren’t fairly what they as soon as had been, not since he suffered an ACL tear again in 2020, and he has been identified to make errors recently, however he nonetheless leads by instance and offers with most threats effortlessly. The truth that he began and accomplished each Premier League and Champions League recreation Liverpool have performed to this point, topping the desk in each competitions, says every part.
The third participant whose deal is up on the finish of the season is, in fact, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and preserving the 26-year-old England worldwide will possible show the best off-the-pitch problem Liverpool face this season. Neither cash nor the proposed contract size are believed to be a problem right here. It’s fairly Alexander-Arnold’s want to depart his consolation zone and take a look at his high quality in one other league, with Actual Madrid regularly named as his likeliest vacation spot if he departs from Anfield.
Like Salah and Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold is a participant who has gained every part with Liverpool, and it stays to be seen if he chooses a brand new problem over the prospect of continuous to carry glory to his boyhood membership.
Previous to their return to stardom beneath Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool typically struggled with preserving their key gamers when different golf equipment got here for them. Luis Suarez left for Barcelona in 2014 and Raheem Sterling compelled his solution to Manchester Metropolis in 2015, and whereas each these transfers occurred when Brendan Rodgers managed the Reds, even Klopp couldn’t persuade Philippe Coutinho to remain when Barcelona supplied a complete of £142 million for his companies in January 2018.
However since then, Liverpool had no such issues. Many pundits (to not point out rival followers) anticipated Salah to depart on the first alternative, however he by no means confirmed any want to play for another membership. Even throughout the previous couple of months when his future on the membership was in gravest doubt, he careworn a number of occasions that he’d love to finish his taking part in days at Liverpool.
However Alexander-Arnold’s state of affairs seems to be a touch at outdated issues coming again. Actual Madrid have expressed curiosity, and he’s significantly contemplating the potential of leaving, with the membership unable to do something to stop it. Liverpool ought to take a part of the blame on themselves for it, in fact, having allowed the contract of such an vital participant to return so near expiration.
However a 26-year-old participant, together with his finest days nonetheless forward, leaving to hitch Actual Madrid, would symbolize a heavy, heavy blow for the membership which labored very exhausting to return from a three-decade mediocrity to full prominence beneath Klopp, with Alexander-Arnold taking part in a significant function on that journey.
