Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s leading scorer, is out of contract at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, and the Reds have yet to agree on new terms with the Egypt international.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that if Liverpool agrees to Mohamed Salah’s demands for a new contract, they may end up creating a new problem for themselves.
Liverpool’s top scorer has just over a year left on his current contract, and manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that the parties involved are still in talks about extending it. However, nothing has been agreed upon as of yet, and the Reds manager has admitted that his star player has been having a difficult time on the pitch.
Salah is rumored to be negotiating a new contract for around £400,000 per week, which would make him the club’s greatest earner and one of the highest-paid players in the world. Wenger, who hasn’t worked in a club management position since leaving Arsenal in 2018, has counseled caution.
“It solves one problem while causing a new one,” Wenger said. Salah’s current contract expires in 2023, and Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all in the same boat.
“You’re occasionally in this situation where you say, ‘I’ve got to do everything I can to keep this person,’ knowing that other players aren’t far away.’ However, you no longer have enough money to satisfy [the other players] because you overspent on this one.
“He’s had a tremendous season, Salah, and every year since he’s joined Liverpool, he’s become better, therefore he deserves his contract.” The only problem is that once they reach the age of 30, it’s always a question of ‘how long do you sign them,’ because the highest-paid are already past their prime.”
While Salah has been the Premier League’s top scorer this season, his form has been sporadic since the turn of the year. His 20 league goals still placed him six goals ahead of his nearest opponent, and his 28 goals in all competitions still rank third among his career single-season totals, with plenty of opportunity to add to the total.
He has only scored one league goal from open play since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in February. Furthermore, Salah missed out on World Cup qualification during the last international break, and Klopp has highlighted the difficulties Salah and his colleagues face after racking up more flying miles in March.