European football rarely sees an exodus of big names like the one seen in 2023.Liverpool see captain Jordan Henderson join some of his former stalwarts — Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum — Moved to the Saudi Professional League and had to fight to keep Mohamed Salah.
This time it has been able to fend off an attack by the Etihad, who have tabled a massive offer worth up to $183m (£150m/€171m) on transfer deadline day, but the club will make renewed efforts to Add Salah to the squad. 2024 (via Sky Sports).
There is a sense of inevitability given the size of the money on the table and, more importantly, the fact that Salah is approaching the final 18 months of his contract and there is no sign that extension talks are underway. .
read more: Jurgen Klopp slams Manchester City’s decision to face Liverpool, FSG expected to add $122m
read more: Liverpool have quicker players than Darwin Nunez, five stand out against Brentford
However, The Athletic’s David Ornstein struck a more optimistic tone during a Q&A on Friday after Salah was named PFA Player of the Month for a fifth time. “I don’t think his decision is set in stone,” Ornstein wrote. “I even have some suggestions that he would love to stay and continue playing at the highest level in Europe. Of course, this is the best decision for both the player and the club. “
Given what Salah achieved at Anfield, you certainly can’t begrudge him leaving – Both personally and as part of Jurgen Klopp’s best team – it would be a real waste if he left now for a league that is still in its early stages of development, as has been the case for some well-publicized players this season attendance figures indicate.
Unlike some of the other superstars who have left Europe this year, Salah still has a lot to offer at the highest level. Take Cristiano Ronaldo, for example. He has only started 4 of the 16 Premier League games for Manchester United ahead of the 2022/23 World Cup, completely weakening his relationship with the club, but it is a completely reasonable decision from the manager. Decided on Erik Ten Hag because he was a completely out of control passenger. There’s a reason why none of Europe’s top clubs took concrete action against him following his release, and it’s not his age. Ronaldo then ended up signing for Al Nasr.
Neymar, the same age as Salah, still excelled in his final season at PSG — 18 goals and 17 assists in 29 games — but it’s that last number that is the source of his problems. The Brazilian has missed 167 games since joining PSG from Barcelona in 2017, including four injuries that have kept him sidelined for at least 14 games. The torn ACL he suffered last month will result in his longest layoff to date. Salah’s availability, by contrast, remains rock solid, which is why any super club is still willing to offer him a multi-year deal, while few are willing to take a chance on Neymar.
Much like his old El Classic rival Karim Benzema continued his world-class form at Real Madrid, scoring 31 goals in 46 games in 2022/23, but was already 35 when he opted to move to the Etihad . Likewise, Lionel Messi proved he was still arguably the best player in the world with his outstanding performances during Argentina’s World Cup win, but he was already 36 when he joined Inter Miami.
Salah is at a different stage in his career and should not follow the same path just yet for footballing reasons alone. He can still lead Liverpool to win more trophies and add to his legacy, whether it’s a Premier League title in front of the fans or a redeeming Champions League title after losing to Real Madrid in 2022.
This season is only the start of “Liverpool 2.0” but hopefully Salah has seen enough to feel confident he can achieve those ambitions at Anfield. Salah reportedly wants to keep playing at “the highest level” and Liverpool fans will be praying that he signs a new contract, but of course there is still a lot of work to be done before anything can be agreed.