When the season ends and Liverpool reflects on Arne Slot’s first campaign in charge, Mohamed Salah is likely to emerge as the club’s Player of the Year. Had the Reds gone further in the Champions League, he would have been the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or.
And yet, up to this point, there has been no contract extension. No deal that has been placed on the table has been signed yet though negotiations are ongoing. There is still time for Salah’s time at Anfield to be extended but until that happens, the question marks and anxiety will remain.
There has long been a banner on The Kop urging Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to “give Mo his dough” and while it is not as simple as just paying him whatever he and his representatives demand, an extension does make sense. Salah has scored 32 goals this season and assisted another 22 for his teammates.
The Egyptian is now in the top five Premier League goalscorers of all time —level with Sergio Aguero and closing in on Andrew Cole — and is showing no signs of slowing down. There is an argument that this season is his best in a Liverpool shirt given the numbers he is consistently putting up at the top end of the field.
That perhaps explains the desperation for him to stay. With Trent Alexander-Arnold now expected to depart, the worry that big players could move on is much more real.
One Liverpool fan even took a sign to watch the WWE in London. “Renew Mo Salah,” it read, succinctly echoing the thoughts of plenty of Reds fans around the world. With just nine games of the season remaining, news one way or another can’t be too far away.
“I’m probably more out than in,” Salah said in November when Liverpool had just beaten Southampton thanks to his brace. “In the end, it is not in my hands,” he added. “As I said before, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future.”
The player is keen to stay, though. Slot has made it clear that he would like to continue working with Salah next season too. Attempting to replace him directly — whether that is this season or at some point in the future — will be a near-impossible task.
Liverpool.com says: Losing Salah would be a major blow — even more detrimental than Alexander-Arnold’s likely departure. The forward is so instrumental to how Liverpool attacks and scores goals that the team without him doesn’t bear thinking about. His numbers are Lionel Messi-like and his consistency is remarkable.
