Whatever the future holds for Mohamed Salah after football, we can immediately dismiss the idea that he will pursue a career in negotiations.
Outside St Mary’s, as Liverpool’s unexpected title challenge gained momentum with a come-from-behind thumping of Southampton, the hero of the hour did something he has never done in seven years at the club: he actively sought journalists for an interview.
Usually when you see Salah in these situations it goes one of two ways.
The first is like a good-natured pantomime – ‘Come on, Mo! You know you want to do two minutes!’ we would ask. ‘Next time, guys! Next time!’ he replied – which ends with a chuckle as he blows past; the second (especially if he hasn’t scored) starts and ends with a look from him that says don’t ask.
Salah is like the Scarlet Pimpernel when it comes to dealing with the press, so much so that there was a point not so long ago where his teammates couldn’t fathom how he actually exempted himself from holding press conferences in the Champions League, how then also. what requests have been made.
This gives context to the meaning of the situation outside St Mary’s. Salah actually had something to say. And as he spoke, he wanted to prove that he would be a lousy poker player, showing his hand without any pressure.
Mohamed Salah’s plea will not benefit him or the club, which is facing such a difficult period
He said no progress had been made in contract talks following Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Southampton
“I’m more out than in,” he announced, less than an hour after his double brought him within five goals of equaling Billy Liddell’s total of 228, which puts the Egyptian fifth on the all-time list. Liddell is a mystical figure in Liverpool’s history. That Salah finds himself in the same job seven years after his debut is mind-boggling.
It produces brilliant texts, a beauty for the back page, but for Arne Slot and his progressive team the timing is regrettable. There is no other way to dress it up: it is a selfish act ahead of ten days in which matches against Real Madrid, Manchester City, Newcastle and Everton will define the season.
He has been nagging all season about the fact that not everything in his garden is in bloom. There was an eye-opening interview with Sky Sports after a 3-0 win over Manchester United in August, and then a cryptic Instagram post the day after his howitzer of an attack turned a match against Brighton four weeks ago.
Perhaps he and agent Ramy Abbas Issa thought they could put pressure on Liverpool with these episodes: they had won the hearts and minds of the supporters, who were only too happy to issue an SOS (Secure Our Salah) with his contract seven months after expiry . . But this third incident smacks a bit of desperation.
You may read that and expect a character assassination to follow, but nothing could be further from the truth. This observer has seen many people redshirt over the past forty years, but he’s in my top three. He is extraordinary, a goalscorer AND a great goalscorer.
I’ve been to Nagrig, the village between Alexandria and Cairo where he was born, and understand the work he put in to get out of Egypt, let alone make himself a global icon. His journey will be used as a source of inspiration to show what is possible with a dream, desire and dedication.
It is also possible to sympathize with him. Liverpool are now in trouble because they said goodbye to their senses in 2023, when Jurgen Klopp’s tank started to run empty and interim sporting director Jorg Schmadtke did not look into the future.
There was a lot of unrest at the time and circumstances meant that Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk slipped through the crucial two-year period when their contracts should have been extended – or at least discussions should have begun.
Liverpool should have acted sooner to address the short term of his current contract
But Fenway Sports Group is dealing in black and white financially: they won’t simply bow to fan pressure to increase Salah’s wages as he turns 33 next year.
Salah should take a step back and appreciate what he has, even if you can sympathize with him
The club should have also started talks with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk earlier
They would have to spend extraordinary amounts of money on a star like Lamine Yamal or Vinicius Jr. to replace Salah
Arne Slot is now trying to suppress a storm that he himself had no hand in
The three totems have all dealt with the situation in their own ways, but Salah now bursting out and saying what he did has caused such a storm that it makes you wonder if the club can calm things down at all. If he thought this would give him a successful solution, he is living in fantasy land.
Fenway Sports Group won’t do what fans demand and just ‘give him the money’; the situation is not that simple. They see things in black and white when a player reaches age 30, and they rarely give men in that category higher terms.
Whether you agree or not, they will see Salah – who turns 33 two weeks before his contract expires in June – and wonder why, for the sake of argument, they should invest £60 million over three years in a player who will of course do that. become less effective as he ages.
On the Kop they will argue that £60m represents a good price as it would take double that and more to bring in a suitable replacement. There could be someone like Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal or Vinicius Jr. from Real Madrid would be needed to placate Salah’s departure, but neither would be available.
Meanwhile, as the situation is debated and arguments rage, you go back to Salah and think about what he said. Selfish? Certainly. Liverpool didn’t need a soap opera, but Slot, through no fault of his own, is now center stage and faced with endless questions.
But you wonder if there is also uncertainty. Does Salah actually want to leave? He will never have it as good as he did at Anfield, with the team set up to allow him to flourish and the fans cheering him on every step of the way. For the first time, however, Salah puts his foot in the wrong place.
Will it be resolved? Not at the moment. It is not too late for a turnaround, but that will require reconciliation. He is very good at looking at the picture from his own perspective, but if Salah takes a step back and appreciates what he has, he will understand the folly of his rare words.