The Athletic recently published an in-depth article analyzing the reasons why Salah has not yet renewed his contract with Liverpool. The article suggests that both Salah and Liverpool have their own considerations and need to take many factors into account, which is why a renewal has not been reached.
Why did Liverpool allow Salah to enter the final year of his contract?
Salah was once a target for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad Jeddah, but Liverpool firmly rejected two offers, with the second offer being as high as £150 million. After Klopp announced he would leave at the end of last season, Liverpool had to deal with the complex issues of changing managers and management transitions, leading to a delay in handling Salah’s contract situation.
According to his current contract, Salah’s base weekly salary is £350,000, and there are bonuses tied to performance and honors in the contract.
What does Salah think?
Since Salah joined in 2020, Liverpool has won three cup finals, but Salah only played a key role in one of these finals due to injuries preventing him from participating in the other two. During the same period, Liverpool missed out on two Premier League titles and one Champions League title. Therefore, Salah hopes to help Liverpool reclaim championships, knowing that winning titles will give him greater leverage.
With the arrival of Slott, Liverpool needs to assess Salah’s value and status in the new system. Meanwhile, Salah himself wants to see how competitive Liverpool will be in the post-Klopp era, so he is not in a hurry to commit to his future.
Currently, Salah’s mentality is very relaxed, and he has a completely open attitude towards his future direction.
What does Liverpool think?
Based on Fenway Sports Group’s past operations, they prioritize financial stability and are unwilling to offer long-term contracts to players over 30. Moreover, if Liverpool were forced to lock Salah down with a long-term contract due to pressure, management is also concerned about finding a suitable replacement when the time comes.
How important is keeping Salah for Liverpool?
If Salah leaves, his new club will determine the level of pressure Kop fans put on the club. Liverpool fans can accept Salah moving to the Saudi Pro League for higher wages, given Fenway Sports Group’s limited financial resources, but if Salah stays in European football or even joins another Premier League club, fans might explode in anger.
From Salah’s perspective, as long as he doesn’t move to Manchester’s two clubs, the glory and legacy he built at Liverpool will remain unaffected, even if he joins a London team, he will still be a hero in the hearts of Liverpool fans.
And what Liverpool needs to worry about is that once Salah leaves, it will be difficult to find another player who can consistently score at least 25 goals per season for four consecutive seasons. Fenway Sports Group has already learned through the departures of Mane and Firmino that letting a good player go is much easier than finding another good player.
What is the most likely outcome?
Even if Al-Ittihad Jeddah can offer a lucrative contract, Salah may not necessarily want to play in Saudi Arabia. He and his family enjoy living in the UK and don’t have to worry about being disturbed as they might be in Egypt. Additionally, Salah has always wanted to be seen purely as a footballer without mixing in religious, political, or other factors. On the football side, Salah may also have doubts about the competitive level of the Saudi Pro League.
If he finds it hard to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League in the future, Salah might also turn to the MLS. Currently, Salah’s commercial income mainly relies on the Western market, and Egypt is also very confident of securing a spot in the World Cup. Although MLS teams cannot match the salaries offered by the Saudi league, the living environment in the United States will not differ much from that in England.