It’s time to talk about Mohamed Salah.
It’s been a curious season for Liverpool’s talismanic striker. By the looks of it, he’s had another stellar campaign, breaking Anfield career records seemingly every other week, once again topping the club’s goalscoring charts and creating almost as many goals for his teammates.
However, not everything went as planned. He injured his hamstring while on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, which ruled him out for about a month, as well as some disappointing performances in recent years. recent weeks (even if his goal return remains excellent).
Perhaps the most serious is that there has been no movement regarding a new contract. Salah, 31, is a free agent in the summer of 2025 and, courted by clubs in Saudi Arabia last year, is expected to attract interest again at the end of this season.
All of this is taking place against the backdrop of an imminent managerial change and off-the-field restructuring at Liverpool, which creates its own sense of uncertainty.
So what do we know about Salah’s future? What does the club think of his contract? And is there any reason to be concerned about its shape?
James Pearce and Simon Hughes joined Tony Evans to discuss these and other topics on Athleticism Podcast Walk On. You can listen to the entire show for free wherever you get your podcasts or on the player below, but this is an edited transcript of their conversation about Salah.
Tony Evans: Since returning from a hamstring injury, he hasn’t looked in top form. It’s also during Ramadan, so he’s fasting – that’s no excuse, but it does affect the players, although it has affected him less in other years. Is this a particularly bad time for him to be losing form because Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are sitting there assessing what they’re going to do with his contract? Given the age and fitness costs, do you think it’s less likely we’ll see him again next season?
Simon Hughes: We must consider the way in which Liverpool recruited Salah. This was largely based on the numbers he was hitting in Rome. Edwards, chief scout Barry Hunter and (recruitment manager) Dave Fallows envisaged that if you put him in a Klopp team those numbers would go up.
Tony Evans: But to be honest, Edwards was really hot (on Salah) in 2014.
Simon Hughes: He was, yes. Liverpool were close to getting him and wish Jose Mourinho hadn’t pushed him as much as he did at Chelsea. Liverpool’s view was that he had not failed at Chelsea as such, he had simply not been used. And then obviously he went to Italy and scored a lot of goals for Roma. Liverpool felt that if they put him in the Liverpool team, the output would just increase.
This decision will therefore depend on the numbers. I’m not too concerned about his performance because he still affects the game. He still has opportunities, he’s still a handful. And we see that it still concerns the defenders. It’s just that his execution wasn’t as good as it normally is.
Regarding the hamstrings, his game has changed and he’s no longer just running – and let’s face it, the hamstrings are a pretty important part of the body for anyone playing his role. So this must be true. I don’t feel like it’s affecting him, it’s just that he hasn’t quite found his rhythm yet. There are still opportunities created.
That’s not just what athletic director Edwards thinks. This is also what the new manager could expect from his wider players. He may have a slightly different idea of what that role should be.
There is also a much broader perspective. Just look at Everton and what has happened to them in recent years.
Tony Evans: A little light relief!
Simon Hughes: Well, they didn’t negotiate well, they spent too much money on players and didn’t get much back. For all the talk about repaying stadium interest, if they had sold a player at a (good) profit, they probably wouldn’t be in this position.
This reminds all clubs that we must exchange ideas. So with Salah, I don’t want to say he’s past his best because he still contributes in a big way, but they can make a lot of money from a player that they might not make any money for a lot in a few years. of years. So there is the economic reality that Liverpool must also respect.
People hate this conversation because it makes FSG look tight, but look at what’s happening around football. Financial fair play is increasingly respected, it is therefore necessary to create an economic environment allowing a club to be stable.
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Revenue and everything else at the club might dictate that Liverpool are in a healthier position, but let’s not forget that Liverpool are in the position they are in because they sold a big player for a lot more money than he was not worth – Philippe Coutinho. This allowed them to go and buy again, so all of these things would be taken into account.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how Liverpool handle this. You have three major players whose contracts expire at the same time: Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. It’s dangerous that Liverpool have allowed this to happen because it means they would have to reinvest a significant amount of money to keep them all.
I’m surprised and there are probably many reasons, but if Salah thinks he’s going to get a big pay rise, he’s going to have to adjust his expectations.
Tony Evans: It’s not going to happen. There are a few things there. If a new manager doesn’t want Mohamed Salah, you shouldn’t hire him. But unfortunately, and this is just my opinion, I have a strong feeling that the new manager will not get them. James, is there any progress in these contract negotiations?
James Pearce: This is a subject that will be addressed this summer. All parties at the moment seemingly want to focus on the job at hand, which is making the most of this season and giving Klopp the best farewell possible. So I would be really surprised if there are any developments on this in the next five or six weeks. But after the end of the season, with Richard Hughes as sporting director, it is obviously one of his big priorities.
To echo what Simon said, it’s a question of rhythm with Salah. I’ve seen people say, “We’re witnessing the disappearance of Mo Salah.” » Stop. He has started five games since returning from that hamstring injury and has scored four goals. We’re probably a little unrealistic in thinking he can just wiggle his fingers and get back to the heights we expect of him, since he’s a guy who has very rarely had to deal with injuries. This is probably one of the worst injuries he has suffered.
We probably have to go back to Sergio Ramos in the 2018 Champions League final, when he threw it over his shoulder, the last time he suffered an injury as serious as that. It was the end of the season, so it didn’t really have a ripple effect.
A big decision is looming on the horizon. He will be 32 in June, but a lot depends on what he wants. Things with the Saudi Pro League last summer were almost academic as it was so late when all the discussions were followed by a proper offer that it wasn’t even a conversation for Liverpool to have. It was a question of what use is this money to us now, when we would not be able to spend it and find a replacement?
You probably won’t receive this offer again. This was £100 million, rising to £150 million. So, for the sake of argument, let’s say you’re offered between £85m and £90m in June. It’s a very different conversation if you’re offered this in mid-August. Next, what can you do with this money? How to reinvest it?
I hope he stays put, signs another extension and continues to rewrite the club’s records. But, as he approaches the final year of his contract, he has some important decisions to make about the future he envisions.
Tony Evans: Most people would like a raise, but I don’t think he’ll get it at his age. And that concerns me because I would like to see him retire in a Liverpool shirt.
(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)