Mohamed Salah has signed a new Liverpool contract that will keep him at Anfield until 2025.
An 18-month stalemate eventually ended with Salah becoming the highest paid player in Liverpool history with a salary of more than £ 350,000 a week.
By the time Salah’s new contract expires, every modern goal record set by Liverpool’s legends will be threatened.
The compromises on both sides that brought a resolution will be received with relief on Merseyside, especially after Sadio Mane’s sale to Bayern Munich last month.
For all of Salah’s flirtations with Real Madrid, tips to leave a Bosman desal and cryptic social media texts from his agent throughout the negotiation process, Liverpool’s hierarchy always expected him not to follow Mane out of the club.
Indeed, it is impossible to shake off the view that Mane’s retirement has made a Salah deal more likely as talks have accelerated over the past two weeks.
Negotiation problems began in 2020 when Liverpool tried to secure the core of their multi-trophy winning team. Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold were among those who signed new agreements in 2021
As recently as May – when Salah openly said he would see his deal rather than sell himself – Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, felt it would be too difficult for their star striker to move away from his Anfield legacy to step.
More to follow