Liverpool opted to give Mohamed Salah a new contract last season after months of speculation, but in doing so went against FSG’s firm contract rules, which have seen several big names leave the club.
Mohamed Salah’s future dominated the conversation last season as he scored every week in what could be his last season at Liverpool.
The forward himself only added fuel to the fire by openly admitting that he thought this was his last season at Anfield. His goals and assists saw the Reds crowned champions to be crowned by the new year, which they duly fulfilled, and in April the announcement that the people of Merseyside had been hoping for was made. new deal.
Salah, 32, has been given a new contract for a further two years. He will turn 33 in June and will be 35 by the time his latest contract with Liverpool expires.
While it seemed obvious at the time, handing out a contract to a player of that age went completely against Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) contract policy of not offering extensions to players over the age of 30. This approach was introduced by Michael Edwards, who served as sporting director from 2016 to 2022.
He has since returned and both Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who turned 34 in June, have been given new contracts in the hope that continuity will help Liverpool maintain their dominance.
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So it’s been six months since Salah signed his new contract and the numbers weren’t that good. If anything, it’s a strong endorsement of why FSG had a contract policy in the first place.
He scored two goals in the final nine games of last season. He has scored two goals so far this season. That means Salah has now scored four goals in 16 games since his empty-handed draw against Everton in early April. 1 goal in 4 games. Even his creativity has significantly declined, with just three assists in his last 17 league games. As a team, the Reds are struggling with their expensive new summer contract not yet working properly, and Salah is proving to be a victim of the current situation.
Salah’s age was always going to catch up with him at some point, despite his relentless dedication to recovery and staying in shape. Cristiano Ronaldo is a perfect example of a player and his team-mates forming new roles and shapes to help counter the aging process.
Wayne Rooney said the decline in Salah’s workload was acceptable while he was scoring goals, but when the numbers dropped it was when the alarm bells went off.
“It’s great when you’re scoring well and winning games and the team will live with that, but this past week I would question his work ethic,” he said.
One of Salah’s greatest team-mates, Sadio Mane, was 30 years old when he left the Reds at the end of his contract. Roberto Firmino is still working for the Reds at the age of 31 and was sensational under Jurgen Klopp, but the club refused to offer him a new contract and he left for Saudi Arabia.
Both players are unlikely to regret these decisions, as they have replicated their Liverpool level elsewhere. They have chosen to go their separate ways with Salah and for his historic achievement, the Egyptian needs to quiet the noise and show that the hierarchy at Anfield was right to set aside their politics.
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