Salah's contract with Liverpool expires next summer. Liverpool's past practice would normally only offer '1+1' contracts to older players, but given Salah's irreplaceable role and his status as one of the best right wingers in the club's history, Liverpool will not handle this renewal in the usual way. However, despite Salah's repeated expressions of wanting to stay, the negotiation process has not progressed any more smoothly for the two sides, and there may be heated discussions on three fronts. Recently, Fabrizio Romano revealed an update on Liverpool's contract extension with Salah in a video podcast.
Fabrizio Romano said both Liverpool and Salah want an agreement, but the core issue is centred on Salah's salary demands. Based on Salah's current salary of £350,000 a week, this is already the highest salary in the Liverpool team. In order to avoid an imbalance in the salary structure within the squad, it is unlikely that Liverpool will give Salah another significant pay rise given his age. Salah, however, wants to get as much salary as possible in the final big contract of his career, which is where the conflict lies.
It is foreseeable that the issue of wages will be a focal point in the negotiations between the two sides, but Fabrizio Romano remains optimistic about the prospect of Salah remaining at Anfield. In addition to salary requirements, the length of the contract is also a tricky issue. Although Salah's speed and explosiveness have decreased, his passing ability has become more and more sophisticated, and there is even a tendency to develop in the direction of Messi. As a result, Liverpool are now also in a dilemma: if Salah can successfully complete this transformation, the team could miss out on a top player; But if the transition fails, offering him an excessively long contract could pose a huge risk for the club. At the same time, Salah has also made it clear that he is not willing to accept the "1+1" contract clause, which further complicates the negotiations.
The third possible focus of negotiations is Salah's position in the squad and whether he would be willing to accept a role as a substitute or rotation. Looking back at Liverpool's contract renewal negotiations with Gerrard, it was precisely because Gerrard was unwilling to accept the role of a substitute that he finally left the team in discouragement. Now, Liverpool are also hoping that Salah can be substituted or rotated in due circumstances to maintain his competitive form. However, this may be the most difficult condition for Salah to compromise. As a result, Salah's contract extension is the most complicated of the three core players. Given Edwards' past style of operation, I don't look forward to Salah's future at Liverpool.