Mohamed Salah will know what it means to overtake the legendary Billy Liddell in Liverpool's all-time goalscoring list. The Egyptian striker is currently fourth on the list with 229 goals.
While Ian Rush's 346 goals at the top of the list seem out of reach, Salah will look to Gordon Hodgson, the Reds' third greatest scorer.
Hodgson scored 241 goals and was Liverpool's top scorer until Roger Hunt replaced him in the 1960s. This is significant as Salah looks to carve out his name at Anfield in numbers.
It is clear that the 32-year-old feels he has more to achieve at Liverpool, with Salah keen to stay and try to surpass Hunt's record of 285 goals, cementing his place in the club's pantheon.
All of this has strengthened Liverpool’s position in contract talks with Salah, whose current deal is believed to be worth £350,000 a week and expires in June next year.
With his big ego, Salah would love to shine on the Premier League and Champions League stages. The Egyptian knows he would not be as popular as he is now if he left Anfield. Salah is also hungry for the Ballon d'Or and the opportunity will come this season if Liverpool win the Premier League, Champions League or both.
With 15 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League before Christmas, and no major tournaments in the summer of 2025, Salah knows how big his chances are. What’s more, Salah has also cleverly won over fans by making the impasse in negotiations public.
Despite the impasse, Liverpool are still quietly in talks with Salah's agent Ramy Abbas. The problem for Salah is that the Reds are not offering what he feels he deserves, both in terms of time and money.
Liverpool have no policy of offering contracts longer than a year to players of Salah's age, who turns 33 in June next year. In other words, the "Reds" want to avoid risks if Salah is injured or loses form.
It is difficult to argue against the Liverpool board's stance when this view has existed for nearly 10 years. Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane are the most typical examples. And remember, both of these stars' careers went downhill after leaving Anfield.
Liverpool's board will only pay Salah what they think is appropriate. It would be naive for Reds fans to think Liverpool would spend all their money on a player, especially one who is looking to break a few more records.
