Liverpool should re-sign Salah. Here's why they might let him walk
Mohamed Salah is on course for the most prolific season of his career. It's fair to say he's made his point.
But, to the frustration of many Liverpool fans, contract talks between the club and superstar are stalling, thereby risking one of the greatest players in the Reds' history leaving for free in June.
Here's why Liverpool should pay up, and some reasons why they might be reluctant.
Salah's case for a new deal
Salah has reached 30 goal involvements (17 goals and 13 assists) faster than any player in Premier League history, helping Liverpool build a six-point cushion atop the table. He's scored nearly 40% of Liverpool's league goals through 18 games, and nobody else on the team has more than 10 goal involvements.
The persistent attacker's two goals and four assists in six Champions League outings have also been key in lifting Liverpool into first place in the 36-team league phase. Arne Slot's Salah-powered side hasn't dropped a single point in the competition.
And few would bet against the Egyptian being decisive in the other two competitions on Liverpool's radar. The League Cup semifinals and an FA Cup third-round match are scheduled early in the new year.
One of the main hurdles to extending Salah's stay is his age. But at 32, he's showing few signs of slowing down. In fact, this season he's attempting more take-ons in the Premier League than last term (3.52 attempts per 90 minutes versus 2.46) and is proving more evasive, too (a 50% success rate versus last season's 35.1%). He's also carrying the ball upfield at a similar distance of just over 90 yards per 90 minutes. He's on pace to produce the best statistical season of his career.
The former Roma winger takes his nutrition and fitness very seriously and rarely misses time through injury; he's never made fewer than 32 league appearances in a season for Liverpool.
Few players in world football can compete with Salah in productivity, professionalism, conditioning, and, with a huge global presence that includes 63.9 million Instagram followers, marketability. Additionally, renewing his deal would be significantly cheaper than trying to find a replacement in the transfer market for a player who may, in fact, be irreplaceable.
He's also reportedly willing to sign a one-year contract, which would protect Liverpool from any sudden regression in the Premier League icon's talents.
Why Liverpool might be reluctant
It's worth reiterating the main concern about Salah from Liverpool's perspective: At the start of next season, he'll be 33.
Even Salah can't escape Father Time, and the standout elements of his game - like his acceleration and agility - will inevitably erode. Some players have managed to reinvent themselves in the autumn of their careers, perhaps adopting new positions that lean on their creativity and intellect rather than their physical capabilities, but that is far from a guarantee. Most simply fade.
Concerns about Salah's workload aren't new, either. He's competed in two midseason Africa Cup of Nations campaigns since he joined Liverpool, and on each occasion there was a notable post-tournament dip. Egypt's travails seemed to take a physical and psychological toll on its talisman.
Salah's 2021-22 Premier League numbers
| Before AFCON | Stat | After AFCON |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Games | 15 |
| 16 | Goals | 7 |
| 9 | Assists | 4 |
| 1.25 | GI* per game | 0.73 |
*Goal involvements
Salah's 2023-24 Premier League numbers
| Before AFCON | Stat | After AFCON |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Games | 12 |
| 14 | Goals | 4 |
| 8 | Assists | 2 |
| 1.1 | GI per game | 0.5 |
Egypt will compete at AFCON in Morocco between December 2025 and January 2026. That's right in the middle - and during the notoriously busy section - of the English calendar.
Liverpool's wage bill must also be a consideration. Salah is their highest-paid player with a weekly income of £350,000, according to Capology. Salah could demand a similar amount given his phenomenal performances and the fact that Saudi Pro League clubs and some heavy-spending European outfits like Paris Saint-Germain could offer him even more.
His salary represents a huge chunk of Liverpool's wage bill, and the contract talks come at a bad time for the club, with deals for Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold - worth a combined £400,000 per week - also set to expire in June. Van Dijk, 33, finds himself in a similar situation to Salah - he's producing some of the best form of his career ahead of what could be his last big contract. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Alexander-Arnold could demand a huge raise that forces the club to free up funds elsewhere.
What could a future without Salah look like? A splurge in the transfer market would be expected, but there's already plenty of attacking talent at Liverpool.
Diogo Jota, 28, is the oldest member of the frontline after Salah. Luis Diaz (27), Cody Gakpo (25), Darwin Nunez (25), and the group of midfielders who carry a goal threat, like Dominik Szoboszlai (24) and Curtis Jones (23), are arguably yet to hit the peak of their powers. Harvey Elliott appeared ready to reach the next level in his development this season before he was sidelined with a fractured foot in September, but the 21-year-old has time to realize his undoubted potential.
There are more youthful options pushing for first-team consideration, too.
Ben Doak has been a revelation on a loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship; he could be fast-tracked into Slot's squad. Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas shone when they both scored in an FA Cup win over Southampton last season. United States youth international Keyrol Figueroa - like Danns and Koumas, another son of a former Premier League footballer - signed a professional contract last May after scoring freely in the academy ranks.
Salah leaving would mark the end of an era, but it could also herald the start of a very exciting one.