Liverpool are prioritising a new contract for Mohamed Salah over Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, but there are no guarantees he will sign new terms, according to The Athletic.
The Reds’ front-three are all 29 and in the final two years of their existing terms, so they must decide which to keep. Liverpool chiefs are reluctant to still have all three earning high wages and potentially being past their best come 33-years-old.
Liverpool are also reticent to replacing all three at the same time, so are focusing on tieing Salah down first. It is their biggest priority as no one doubts the Egyptian’s commitment, or his impeccable conduct behind the scenes.
But there are no guarantees Salah will sign a new contract with Liverpool. The former Roma forward, who the Reds paid £34m to sign in 2017, has already considered leaving Anfield for a new challenge. The pandemic has also affected what sort of offer the Reds can table.
Salah is already the joint top-earner on at Liverpool on a £200,000-per-week contract, per Spotrac. But the Reds can no longer afford to offer the level of pay rise the ex-Chelsea man would expect. The pandemic has also limited his options for a future elsewhere.
However, should Salah sign a new contract, attention will then turn to retaining Mane. That will leave Firmino’s place at risk, after Jota’s instant impact saw Jurgen Klopp veer away from the Brazilian, who also produced a disappointing return in front of the goal.
Liverpool are unlikely to sell Firmino this summer, though, and will instead make a decision over his future in 2022. Then, the task of rebuilding Klopp’s attack will begin to gain speed.
Salah could derail Liverpool’s plans
Salah could derail Liverpool’s plans for the future of Klopp’s attacking line by refusing to sign a new contract. The Egyptian would be the toughest part of the Reds frontline to replace, and require the most capital.
Reports by ESPN in May claimed Liverpool would want at least €80m (£69m) from Paris Saint-Germain to sell Salah. Which may still not be enough to replace the winger who Klopp calls ‘exceptional’ and has topped the Reds’ scoring charts in each of the last four seasons.
Salah refusing a new contract could further derail Liverpool’s plans by increasing the need to keep Mane and Firmino, then. Despite club chiefs fearing paying out large sums each week on players offering less and less, which was the case for Firmino last season.
Liverpool’s £29m signing from Hoffenheim scored just nine goals for the second successive Premier League campaign. But unlike in 2019/20 when Firmino added three in the cups, failed to find the back of the net. Yet could be offered the chance to stay if Salah must go.
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