Liverpool has entered 2025 in a rather unpleasant manner.
Fans are dreaming of winning the Premier League and, perhaps, the Champions League.Arne Slot has led his team to the top of the league and has them looking like title contenders.
However, something troubling is happening off the field. Fenway Sports Group has allowed the contracts of perhaps their three most significant players to expire.
Liverpool could lose Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah for free at the end of the season, when their contracts expire.
There has been a lot of speculation that sporting director Richard Hughes inherited the contract problem from his predecessors. And it is true that with Jurgen Klopp and former incumbent Jorg Schmadtke leaving, valuable time was lost in approaching those three players. The refusal to re-sign them goes back a long distance.
However, Hughes’ focus in the summer transfer window, and now in this one, was to finalize new deals.
Salah: ‘More out than in’
It appears that a deal with Van Dijk is close, with the Dutchman’s future rumored to be on Merseyside. Trent’s head may already be in Madrid; whatever Liverpool offers may not be sufficient.
But Salah is the one who is generating the greatest concern.
He is the best player in the world right now, and if Liverpool holds their nerve, he looks like a lock to win the Ballon d’Or. His figures scarcely need repeating, but he has 20 goals and 17 assists in 26 games this season. The Egyptian is once again carrying the creative and goal-scoring weight for the Reds.
That is why his comments this season have been so troubling.
“It’s almost December, and I haven’t gotten any offers to stay with the club. “I’m probably more out than in,” Salah stated following the November win over Southampton.
That implied Hughes had squandered the first several months of his term by failing to make a suitable offer to Salah.
Liverpool’s lack of agreement left them exposed to rival teams giving contracts to its players once 2025 began. And, according to reports out of France, that is exactly what has transpired.
Have FSG received the message?
It’s been claimed that Paris Saint-Germain have sent a proposal Salah’s way following on from reports a couple of months ago that talks had begun between the club and Salah’s camp.
A three-year, €500,000 per week offer is reportedly on the table from the Ligue 1 giants. That is sure to be alluring to Salah if he’s got money on his mind.
However, as demonstrated by Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, PSG may not be the best site for superstars of a particular age to further their careers. Salah would most likely have accepted offers in Saudi Arabia by now if he was only interested in the money.
But it’s evident he wants more than money. He wants group prizes and individual records. That is why suggestions of Salah’s readiness to compromise – even a one-year deal – should be heartening for Liverpool fans.
He intends to stay.
And it appears that FSG have received the message. An organization that prioritizes analytics, statistics, and data has procedures in place before making financial commitments. massive deals and massive contracts are just not awarded.
That is why, as their contracts expire, players such as Steven Gerrard and Roberto Firmino are looking for other opportunities. To be honest, it’s a gamble that FSG has rarely gotten wrong when it comes to letting go of their aging top earners.
Salah, however, is different.
He may be 32 and will turn 33 this summer, but no player in the planet can match him. He is still in his peak and appears set to dominate world football for the next few years, with few strikers capable of matching his production.
It would cost FSG far more to replace him than to re-sign him.
Salah is an anomaly.
Finally, there are indications that the club is willing to break the rules in order to keep Salah.
Several outlets have stated that Salah has received contract offers, albeit at a late stage. And the French report has disclosed the specifics of those clauses. Salah has been offered a two-year deal worth €400,000 per week.
A two-year extension of Salah’s existing salary, which are said to be £350,000 per week in English money.
That is a significant outlay, given that Salah already earns more than any other Liverpool player and will be 35 or so by the time the contract expires.
However, it is possible that FSG views Salah as an exception, a player who defies their statistical models. He is a player you must see to believe.
Picture this: In two-and-a-half years time, Salah leaves Liverpool as the all-time Premier League top goalscorer and he’s even got an outside shot at being the club’s all-time best goalscorer too.
With Slot at the helm, he has the opportunity to capture even more top club honours, which have become increasingly valuable since 2020.
Salah’s alternative would be to leave at the end of the current season and play for a soulless entity like PSG.
His financial future has long been secured. It’s time to establish a legacy. Finally, it appears that FSG agrees.
