This wasn’t in the script.
Mohamed Salah was supposed to just ride off into the sunset at the end of the season. The plan was for the three-time Golden Boot winner to see out the 2024/25 campaign, his eighth on Merseyside, before departing on a free transfer for pastures new.
He’d then grow old elsewhere just like many of his teammates from that all-conquering Jurgen Klopp side.
The German tactician put that group of players through a lot. They played an obscene amount of games and they played them at such a high level, both mentally and physically. For a period of time, the former BVB boss had a close knit group of players. He relied upon a handful of them every season. The Reds didn’t have real cover. They didn’t have depth.
It was no surprise to see a number of them dramatically decline.
Roberto Firmino went from being bulletproof to picking a fair few muscle injuries during his final two seasons with the club. Gini Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Fabinho all failed to make that much of an impression elsewhere having left the 2019/20 Premier League champions, despite there being disappointment when they all departed. Joel Matip retired after failing to find a club following the expiration of his Liverpool contract.
There’s been a pattern. Players are absolutely fine until they aren’t. The downward curve can be quite steep too. Andrew Robertson is looking a little leggy these days after a series of injuries. The expectation is he will be replaced sooner rather than later.
Salah looked a little leggy after returning from injury last season. That could’ve been the beginning of the end for him at the top level. For others, it would have been. Seemingly not for the Liverpool No11 though. There wasn’t anything more sinister to it. He was simply recovering from his first real injury.
He’s started the season like a man with a point to prove. There are no signs of him letting up, physically or mentally.
The former Roma man has the most goal involvements (16) in the Premier League. He’s the reason the Reds sit top of the table, eight points clear of Manchester City after just 12 matches. Salah has been a difference-maker and a match-winner on multiple occasions this season. The 32-year-old scored twice against Southampton and smashed a volley against the woodwork late on.
The view from the away end 😍#TeamPixel | #Ad pic.twitter.com/RrTuKrVzwO
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 25, 2024
He’s now got at least one goal involvement in each of his last seven starts for the Reds. He’s managed two goal involvements in his last three games for Liverpool.
Only Erling Haaland (12) has more goals than Salah (10) while Bukayo Saka (eight) is the only player with more assists than the Liverpool No11 (six) in the Premier League. The one-time Chelsea winger does, however, lead the way for assists in the Champions League with four and he’s the only player in Europe’s top five leagues to have over 20 goal involvements this season.
His form just isn’t good. It is brilliant.
There are no signs that he is on the wane. If anything, he appears to be improving as an all-rounder. And this is making Richard Hughes’ job as the Sporting Director of Liverpool even more difficult. Because while the plan may have been to let Salah leave at the end of the current campaign, the Reds just can’t allow this to happen.
The question is no longer should Liverpool renew Salah’s deal, but how long should the deal be for?
He’s the best player in the Premier League right now. Letting him walk away would be terrible for the club, both on and off the pitch. Liverpool wouldn’t be able to replace his output. Per Opta, without his goals and assists this term, the Reds would be 13th. It isn’t quite as straightforward as that, obviously, but it does hammer home just how valuable he’s been. And his presence in the dressing room cannot be quantified. He’s a leader, a ceiling raiser and an inspiration to a lot of his teammates. Allowing him to leave, for nothing, after yet another remarkable season would send the wrong message.
As things stand though, that is the situation.
Salah revealed as much after the 3-2 win over the Saints, saying: “Well, we are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in.
“You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future.” Asked if he was disappointed at the lack of offers from Liverpool, Salah replied: “Of course, yeah. I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see. I’m not going to retire soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I’m disappointed but we will see.”
The decision makers at Liverpool may feel as though Father Time will eventually catch up to Salah and they won’t want him on their books when that does happen, especially when he’s the club’s highest earner. But there are exceptions to every rule and he may prove to be one.
And even if there is a drop-off and he goes from being the best in the league to just being one of the best, he can’t be easily replaced. You keep him and it gives you another two years to find his eventual successor.
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