Mohamed Salah has been backed to enjoy Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity and should be allowed to decide whether he stays or leaves Liverpool
Former Red Vladimir Smicer believes Mo Salah remains the club’s best striker but, given his contract situation and the temptation of moving to Saudi Arabia, should be given the choice about where he sees his future.
Salah has topped the Liverpool scoring charts every year he’s been at the club, a streak that continued this season. The Egyptian has been linked with a departure as his deal enters its final 12 months. Last year the Merseysiders resisted offers from the Saudi Pro League, but they could be in that situation again.
Smicer said, “It’s a very tough situation with Mohamed Salah. He may be getting older but he’s still Liverpool’s best striker, scoring so many goals and breaking records. Of course the new manager is coming in and it will be a tough decision. But he deserves so much respect for what he has done for Liverpool. I would let him decide what he wants to do this summer. Never force him out of Anfield”.
“He’s got one more year on his contract so it’s about seeing what his plans are, physically he looks like he could pay for another three or four years. Just look at Ronaldo, he’s still playing at 39 and hasn’t lost his legs. Salah could do the same.”
Ronaldo left the Premier League to move to the Middle East as he penned a deal with Al-Nassr at the start of 2023. The Portugal star has continued to score at a rapid rate, albeit there is an acceptance that the standard of the league is a notable drop from those in Europe.
Liverpool though, now entering a new era under Arne Slot, are set to make some big decisions and Jamie Carragher accepted that there was a discussion to be had around whether or not Salah should stay or be moved on.
He said: “There is a real discussion for the new manager about what the future holds for Mo Salah. It’s the first time we’ve asked that question. He only has a year to go on his contract. He’s looked a shadow of himself for a lot of this season but especially since he’s come back from injury. He is Liverpool’s legend, superstar, one of the all-time greats. But he’s been so far off it.”
Salah gave the clearest indiction yet that he intends to stay in the aftermath of Jurgen Klopp departing. He took to social media to say: “We know that trophies are what count. We’ll do everything possible to make that happen next season. Our fans deserve it and we will fight like hell.”