Mohamed Salah's lucrative Liverpool contract demands and predicament facing Arne Slot

Complications surrounding Mohamed Salah's Liverpool declaration negotiations went into overdrive aft the Egyptian's arguable comments pursuing Sunday's triumph implicit Southampton

At Anfield, fewer names transportation arsenic overmuch value arsenic Mohamed Salah's.

The Egyptian King has been Liverpool's talisman, rewriting records and lifting silverware since his accomplishment successful 2017. Yet, arsenic helium enters the twilight of his prime, a storm, that's been brewing for a mates of years now, threatens to suck the nine into a convulsive vortex and teardrop astatine some bosom and purse strings alike.

Throwing caution to the increasingly-turbulent wind, Salah – whose Anfield woody is inactive acceptable to expire astatine the extremity of the play – stoked the flames of his ongoing declaration stand-off by informing reporters that helium hadn't received an connection from the club and was "more retired than in" pursuing Liverpool's 3-2 win implicit Southampton connected Sunday.

It's an evident ploy – fixed helium has lone ever stopped successful the mixed portion post-match to talk to journalists a tiny fistful of times successful his Liverpool vocation – designed to some unit Liverpool's manus and curry favour with supporters. But it's besides 1 that could backfire catastrophically.

While the specifics of Salah's demands aren't public, it's felt that Liverpool are – alternatively understandably – reluctant to manus different gargantuan, multi-year woody to a antheral who turns 33 travel June. Salah reportedly earns £350,000-a-week connected Merseyside, and, according to the BBC, he's the eighth-highest-paid footballer connected the planet.

Given the signifier he's in, fewer could blasted Salah for attempting – presumably – to sphere the presumption quo. Yet, successful doing so, helium risks jeopardising what has been, up until now, an ironclad enslaved with the Liverpool faithful. He's besides risking backing the nine into a corner, which, fixed the fiscal constraints of modern football, isn't precisely the safest of moves.

Then there's Arne Slot, who insists helium wants Salah to stay. But the Reds manager could beryllium forced to re-think his presumption if the concern descends, arsenic it's threatening to, into chaos. On apical of that, the club's hierarchy volition yet beryllium the ones to marque the last telephone connected Salah's future, taking it retired of Slot's hands to a degree. And if the saga drags connected into the caller year, there's each accidental it could disrupt – oregon adjacent derail – Liverpool's Premier League rubric charge, which strengthens with each passing week and Manchester City defeat.

Losing Salah – particularly for thing – would beryllium 1 heck of a gut-punch, not slightest fixed the club's over-reliance connected the guardant for goals and attacking impetus (particularly since Sadio Mane's departure). But tying him down to a caller woody could contiguous problems too.

Giving successful to Salah's fiscal demands could handcuff the club, limiting their quality not lone to squad-build but besides to root Salah's eventual replacement. They'll besides beryllium keen to debar the concern Arsenal faced with Mesut Ozil – paying astronomical wages to an ageing, diminishing prima who offers nary resale value. Although it indispensable beryllium said, Salah's concern does look antithetic fixed his wide top-level fittingness and continued value to the team.

With player, club, manager and supporters each hoping that Salah's contract, successful 1 signifier oregon another, gets extended, you'd person to ideate that corporate tendency volition propulsion things toward a affirmative resolution. But successful the meantime, there's a tug-of-war betwixt loyalty to a fable and semipermanent sustainability to beryllium had.

Both Liverpool and Salah indispensable present determine wherever their priorities lie, earlier the other, oregon the swift transition of time, decides for them. Tick tock.

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