Sports lawyer Daniel Geey has explained the “cynical” reason why Liverpool may be wise to part ways with Mohamed Salah this summer.
Amid a standout season at the ripe age of 32, Salah will soon see his Anfield contract run out. He’s currently far and away Liverpool’s top earner on £350,000 a week, and talks of an extension don’t appear to be bearing much fruit.
Not only is Salah possibly leaving, but key players Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also faced with expiring deals as well. And it may be that after years of smart investment, the Reds are poised to lose three major staples of their side in one fell swoop.
Geey – who’s a partner in the Sport Group at Sheridans law firm – pointed at the club’s policy against renewing contracts for players over 30 as a major element influencing Salah’s position. And despite strong calls for contract extensions as they lead Arne Slot’s race for the Premier League crown, Geey flagged an under-the-surface issue.
“Liverpool have been paying these three players at an undervalue for the last 18 months or so,” he told Reds icon Jamie Carragher on The Overlap Fan Debate with Sky Bet (via the Liverpool Echo). “Whatever Salah was worth three years ago, he might be worth a lot more now in terms of his performance levels.
“And then there’s another, more cynical view. There’s a lot of data research suggesting players looking to renew their deals actually overperform in the season of the renewal and massively underperform in the couple of seasons after that renewal.
“So I wouldn’t put it past them at all for [chief executive Michael] Edwards, [sporting director Richard] Hughes and [technical director Julian] Ward to be playing an absolute blinder. It’ll all be determined at the end of the season if they play well or not and win the league and Champions League.”
It’s a fascinating hypothesis that Salah – who is currently leading the Premier League Golden Boot race with 23 goals this season – has deliberately elevated his game this year. Yet, it may just be that new boss Slot is getting more from the player than Jurgen Klopp managed in his last seasons on Merseyside.
Alexander-Arnold is reportedly considering a move to team up with Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, while Barcelona and Saudi club Al-Nassr are said to be eyeing Van Dijk. When quizzed about whom he believes is the most likely to exit Liverpool this summer, one player in particular stood out to Geey.
“[I’m a] terrible betting man, but if I was gonna go, I would go with Van Dijk,” he said. “I think Trent is 50/50. I think Salah is more likely to go.”
Carragher, 47, hit back by saying he “didn’t want to hear that,” mirroring the sentiment of many Liverpool supporters. However, there may be some logic in the argument, especially considering Alexander-Arnold’s age makes him a more viable candidate for a contract extension, whereas Van Dijk – who earns £220,000 a week – might represent a more cost-effective option than Salah.
As Salah approaches his 33rd birthday in June, he’s demonstrating a level of longevity that suggests he could continue to deliver top performances for another two or three years. Yet, it’s the type of gamble Liverpool’s shot-callers may be hesitant to take.
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