Coach Jurgen Klopp chose a quiet Friday morning, one day before the FA Cup match against Norwich, to announce a departure that no one could have imagined. Meanwhile, after scoring against Manchester United and helping Liverpool win 3-0, Mohamed Salah declared: "This is my last year at the club".
In that context, The Kop have successfully recruited Federico Chiesa from Juventus, who is likely to replace Salah in the future.
And perhaps more than anyone else, Man United are the happiest team if the Egyptian striker leaves Anfield. The 32-year-old has scored 14 goals in his last 10 appearances against the "Red Devils". More notably, after only 3 goals in the last 11 matches for Klopp, Salah has 3 goals in 3 matches under Arne Slot.
"There are many 'ifs' but at the moment, Salah is one of us and I am really, really happy that he is one of us. He plays very well. I don't talk about the player's contract, but I can talk hours about how Mohamed Salah played today. But do you care about that?" - Slot said.
Football director Richard Hughes and football executive director of fenway Sports Group (FSG), Michael Edwards - who are expected to talk about Salah's contract - are still silent. Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in a similar situation.
All of this is clearly hard to explain. If Slot remains at Anfield for a second season, it could be the time to see Liverpool's three biggest stars leave. After rejecting a £150 million offer from Saudi Arabia, the "Red Brigade" could lose Salah.
In the case of Salah and Van Dijk, Liverpool are showing their long-term vision. In other words, this is completely opposite to Man United. If Salah and Diaz are the best players at Old Trafford, the worst player on the pitch is Casemiro for Man United. The Brazilian midfielder was signed a 4-year contract when he was over 30 years old. For FSG, they want to prevent such costly mistakes.
The Kop are often reluctant to give players over 30 long-term and expensive contracts. This has led to the departure of Gini Wijnaldum, as FSG may feel compensated by the Dutch midfielder's recent poor form.
They may also regret a four-year contract given to Jordan Henderson, even after he moved to Al-Ettifaq. Liverpool have also not renewed Roberto Firmino and James Milner, despite Klopp wanting to keep his two favorite players.
Currently, Salah and Van Dijk are one of Liverpool's oldest players with sky-high salaries. But the Egyptian, with his impressive physical strength and agility, is proving himself to be an exception to many rules. Salah remains a mainstay for Liverpool while Firmino and Sadio Mane have long left Anfield.
Perhaps Liverpool are still waiting to see if Salah will lose form as he approaches his 33rd birthday. However, the delay, the closer Salah get to leaving Anfield and the more difficult it is to explain.
