Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is rumoured to want big wages in any new deal he signs to stay on at Anfield.
The Egyptian forward’s hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of rivals Manchester United at the weekend made Salah the Premier League’s top African goalscorer and now he could be looking for his pay to match his considerable prowess.
According to Football Insider, Salah wants wages of up to £500,000 a week in his new deal, which would make him the best paid player in Liverpool’s history and one of the top earners in football if pen is put to paper.
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Their source says Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group will have to pay big money to hang onto their top goalscorer, who is in stunning form at the moment having scored 15 goals in 12 appearances this season and is on a run of finding the net in 10 consecutive games.
On current form Salah is the best player in the Premier League and it seems as though he’d like the wages to match his ability, his current salary of £200,000 a week does not place him among the top earners in the division such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been very public in his praise for Salah, recently calling him ‘the best’ in the world ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo.
Pressure is now on FSG to make Salah an offer he can’t refuse after he declared he would love to finish his career at Anfield but said his future as a Liverpool player is ‘not in my hands’.
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The 29-year-old Liverpool forward still has two years to run on his contract but a talent like his will always have admirers and the club will not want to go into next season with their star forward only having one year left on his deal and facing the prospect of losing him for nothing.
Real Madrid are known to be interested in Salah and could attempt to swoop in with a contract offer of their own if club and player aren’t able to agree new terms.
It would seem as though the ball is in FSG’s court, though they may be wary of offering such large wages to a player who will be 30 next summer, particularly if it causes Salah’s fellow forwards Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino to ask for similar deals.
Like Salah’s deal, the contracts of 29-year-old Mané and 30-year-old Firmino also expire in 2023 so if Liverpool want to keep hold of their first choice forward line they may have to give each of the trio big pay rises.
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On current form it’s hard to argue they don’t deserve it, but all three will be 30 or older by the start of the next season and Liverpool might worry whether the forwards will still be worth their wages by the end of their contracts.
Signs that Salah will eventually sign a new deal to keep playing at Anfield are positive as Liverpool seem intent on keeping hold of Klopp’s preferred players, having already tied first-team regulars Jordan Henderson, Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson, Fabinho, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to new deals.
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Transfers