Liverpool will be battling Arsenal for tickets to reach the League Cup final.
However, Liverpool's top star Salah is competing in the Africa Cup of Nations, and Egypt has taken the second place in his group to advance to the round of 16 knockout round, with Nigeria in the first place.
Salah's link with Liverpool remains a question of contract extension, with the 29-year-old Egypt international still having a season and a half left on his contract at Anfield, but no agreement has been reached to renew his contract.
In fact, Salah wants to stay at Anfield, and Liverpool also very much wants to renew Salah's contract, but the only link between the two sides is the annual salary issue.
Salah is understood to want a weekly salary of more than £400,000, or even £500,000. Such a weekly salary is indeed worthy of Salah, and it can be easily given in other giants.
But at Liverpool, it's impossible.
Or rather, Liverpool are unwilling to upset the original balance, do not want to create precedents, Liverpool will not change the status quo of the team for a player, even if the star is Salah.
Because the Liverpool executives know that once a precedent is set for Salah, like other players in the team, such as Firmino and Mane, who are also contract years, they will inevitably ask for high salaries, which will break Liverpool's existing salary balance.
In fact, it is not the Liverpool boss who slammed the door.
As a businessman, all he wanted was a rate of return.
Salah is 29 years old, which can be said to be a turning point in the beginning of his career, even if this season still maintains a very efficient level, but in a few years, no one can guarantee how he will be. That's what liverpool's top brass are worried about.
However, according to Liverpool's operation, the weekly salary of 4-500,000 pounds may really be willing to give, but this is the full weekly salary.
In other words, salah is required to get the full salary based on personal data or team results, which is the fixed transfer fee and floating clause common in transfer transactions, and Salah's salary will also have floating money.
That's what Salah is worried about, because if there is an injury, or a downturn in form, it will directly affect his salary.
But Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, drew speculation about an earlier development.
Abbas-Issa posted a photo of Salah laughing at the table without any text description, which drew speculation from the media and fans.
These speculations are undoubtedly two.
For one, Salah thinks Liverpool's offer is ridiculous.
Second, Salah laughed and agreed to Liverpool's offer.
However, Salah is currently participating in the Africa Cup of Nations and it is impossible to reach a contract extension with Liverpool, nor will there be any negotiations with Liverpool on the renewal of the contract.
At the same time, it can be seen from this picture that this picture is not taken at this stage, because Liverpool's chest sponsor logo is not newbalance, and Liverpool has reached a new sponsorship contract with Nike.
To this end, Salah sent this picture at this time, the meaning to be expressed, fans and the media can only guess, the real intention may only be understood by himself.