The ultimate Liverpool source has revealed that Mohamed Salah is not only likely to remain at Anfield this summer, but could also sign a new contract.
liverpool Rejected a verbal offer worth £150m (£100m plus £50m in add-ons). mohamed salah last summer. The bid comes from Saudi side Al Ittihad, with the entire Saudi Professional League on a mission to sign the Egyptian player.
Salah has one year left on his existing contract at Anfield at the end of the current campaign. So the idea has been floated that Liverpool raise money while they still can.
Salah will turn 32 this summer, but the winger's form has plummeted since the start of the year. A new era is about to begin with Arne Slott replacing Jurgen Klopp, but it remains unclear what role, if any, Salah will play in it.
but, athletic David Ornstein took the lead on Monday morning and revealed: The most likely outcome is that Salah remains a Liverpool player next season.
Ornstein said there was still little desire on Salah's side to leave European football and Liverpool. Additionally, the Reds are perfectly content to keep their most potent offensive weapon for at least another season.
Ornstein also noted that Saudi Arabia's interest remains, but not as intense as in 2023.
Therefore, given that the Saudis believe Salah will remain at Liverpool beyond the summer, the SPL are content to wait until 2025 before initiating a different approach, at which point Salah will remain at Liverpool on a free transfer. There is a possibility of contracting with.
However, according to the newspaper's Paul Joyce, Salah could actually sign a new contract with Liverpool.
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Influenced by Michael Edwards.Richard Hughes speaks
Joyce is your number one source for all things Liverpool and the most trusted person when it comes to reporting on the Reds. Joyce reiterated many of Ornstein's points, but he also offered some new insights.
The reporter revealed that Michael Edwards, who will return as CEO, is a “strong supporter” of Salah. Edwards was the one who convinced Klopp to sign Salah in 2017 and he still believes the winger still has a lot to offer.
Liverpool owners FSG succeeded in luring Edwards back to the club earlier this year with the promise of more power and influence.
Edwards is currently FSG's chief football executive and his suggestion is that if Edwards wants Salah to stay, the club will listen and not allow him to be sold.
Joyce also reported that new sporting director Richard Hughes will “lead negotiations on a new contract for Salah”.
The ideal scenario from Liverpool's point of view would be for Salah to sign an extension, perhaps stay at Liverpool for two more seasons, and then move to Saudi Arabia in his mid-30s, giving Liverpool a hefty transfer fee in the process. It will produce.
If Liverpool and Hughes can persuade Salah to put pen to paper, that scenario could become a reality.
Liverpool have recently been admitted to be open to letting first-team players go for free. James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino all left the club without collecting their transfer fees. Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara are expected to follow suit this summer.
However, none of these players would have been able to pay the same level of compensation as Salah if they were sold on the open market. Furthermore, none of these star players has been as vital to Liverpool's cause as Salah is now.
It is speculated that Liverpool will only intend to keep Salah until the final year of his contract if they believe he will sign a new deal.
Indeed, it would be terrible business to lose a player who attracted a £150m bid last summer to free agency, with Edwards boasting an exemplary record of decision-making at Anfield.
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Joyce also pointed out that the chance to play in the Champions League again would be appealing to Salah. The Reds may have fallen short in the title race, but a place in next year's UCL is already all but guaranteed.
The only way for Liverpool to miss this game is if Tottenham lose their last three games and Tottenham win all five and overturn their 26 goal difference.
Adding fuel to the fire regarding Salah's potential departure was a recent touchline clash between the player and the manager.
Salah reacted negatively to Klopp's comments ahead of his substitute appearance against West Ham on Sunday. Klopp downplayed the incident after the game, but Salah declared: “If you talk, there will be a fire.”
But Ornstein insisted the row had little impact on Salah's future at Anfield. When explaining the reason for this, it was pointed out that the bad blood between Salah and Klopp was not a problem, given that Klopp would be leaving the club anyway.
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