Mohamed Salah will certainly understand the significance of surpassing legend 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 head to Gordon Hodgson, the Reds' third-highest scorer.
Hodgson has scored 241 goals and was Liverpool's top scorer until Roger Hunt replaced him in the 1960s. This is important because Salah wants to carve his name at Anfield with telling numbers.
Clearly, the 32-year-old feels he has a lot to achieve at Liverpool. Salah wants to stay and try to surpass Hunt's record of 285 goals, thereby strengthening his position in the club's legendary temple.
All of this has strengthened Liverpool's position in contract talks with Salah. The current deal between the two sides is believed to be worth £350,000 a week and will expire in June next year.
With his big ego, Salah would love to shine on the Premier League and Champions League stages. The Egyptian knows that he will not be as popular as he is now if he leaves Anfield. Salah is also hungry for the Ballon d'Or and the chance 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, in addition to not having any major tournaments in the summer of 2025, Salah understands how big his opportunity is. Moreover, Salah has also cleverly won the support of fans by making the deadlock in negotiations public.
Despite the stalemate, Liverpool are still quietly talking to Salah's agent Ramy Abbas. Salah's problem is that the Reds have not offered him 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 the risk of Salah getting injured or losing form.
It is difficult to refute the stance of Liverpool's board as this view has existed for nearly 10 years. Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane are the most typical examples. And remember, the careers of both stars have plummeted since leaving Anfield.
Liverpool's board will only pay Salah the salary they think is appropriate. The Kop fans would be naive to think Liverpool would spend all their money on a player, especially when that player wants to break a few more records.
