With Mohamed Salah still thriving in the Premier League, Liverpool must decide whether it is truly worth their while allowing him to leave the club over the coming transfer windows. Several Saudi Pro League outfits are desperate to secure his signature and will renew their interest soon, with a price tag of £200million being circulated.
Liverpool have made a very strong start to the 2023/24 campaign, winning five and drawing one of their opening six matches of the season. The Reds have managed to grind out some results and been free-scoring on other occasions, with new signings still adjusting to life under Jurgen Klopp.
The Anfield outfit splashed the cash over the summer to rebuild their midfield ranks, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo arriving to replace several more experienced players who were offloaded.
Liverpool’s spending spree has showcased how impressive their recruitment can be when they have the funds to spend, but replacing Salah would be the most significant task that the higher powers at the club have faced over the past few years and presents a significant dilemma.
The Egypt international has scored three and assisted four so far this season and proven that he is still one of the very best in the Premier League with electric performances down the right. Very few have outperformed the ex-Roma star since his return to England in 2017, and therefore bringing in a player capable of stepping into his shoes is an unbelievably hard task.
Saudi clubs are expected to offer close to £200m for Salah in the upcoming transfer windows, which would make him the most expensive player of all time and be an incredible boost to Liverpool’s finances. But the 31-year-old currently looks better than ever and has scored or assisted in his last 12 consecutive appearances, highlighting just how tricky it would be to replace him.
Instead, Liverpool could take a drastically different approach when dealing with Salah’s situation. Given that the forward is showing no signs of regressing with age, the Merseyside outfit could even be tempted to hand their No. 11 a new contract in order to put an end to transfer speculation and give the player the ultimate vote of confidence.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to operate at an incredible level despite their ages, and Salah has not provided a reason to indicate that he wouldn’t be able to either. Klopp and Fenway Sports Group truly do have a dilemma that they must carefully consider, as it could make or break their next few seasons – bank £200m or trust Salah for the foreseeable future.
