Liverpool fans have been left heartbroken by the news of Sadio Mané’s impending departure, but it seems his partner in crime, Mo Salah, will be sticking around for now, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Reds are yet to renew the Egyptian’s contract which expires next summer, but the 29-year-old is not pushing for a move away from Anfield at the moment.
If Salah isn’t to extend with Liverpool, reports from The Metro indicate a switch to Barcelona could be on the cards for the free scoring winger next season. Xavi is said to have promised Salah a major role in his new-look Barcelona team, hoping that the acquisition of a player of the Egyptian’s calibre will propel the Catalan club back to their glory days.
Liverpool are still deliberating over whether they are willing to meet Salah’s hefty wage demands. As one of the Premier League’s best players, Salah understandably wants to be one of the best paid players in the division, but Liverpool tend to hold themselves to a strict wage structure which extending Salah’s contract would disrupt.
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While the Egyptian hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down in terms of his on-field productivity, his prime years will soon be behind him. Jürgen Klopp’s talisman will turn 30 in just over a week’s time, and one would suspect his brilliant goalscoring record on Merseyside will begin to falter over the course of the next few years.
It is certainly a situation Liverpool will continue to ponder over the summer period. On the one hand, replacing Salah will be near impossible for Liverpool so tying him down for a few more years would appear attractive. On the other hand, handing a player of his age a big wage is always a risk, and his form could dip just as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s did at Arsenal following his contract extension in 2020.
For the time being, Mo Salah will remain a Liverpool player. However, if he is to remain on Merseyside beyond the end of next season, both Liverpool and Salah’s camp will need to find a compromise in their contract negotiations.
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Topics: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Liverpool, Transfers