Liverpools fans are using Mohamed Salahs trademark goal
celebration to make public their demands that 'The Egyptian King' must not be
allowed to leave Anfield.
'He Fires A Bow. Now Give Mo His Dough' reads the banner
that is being brandished these days - and more could be on the way after the
32-year-old delivered another match-winning display in the 3-2 victory at
Southampton.
Liverpool, struggling against determined opponents and a
horrendous south-coast storm, were struggling at 2-1 down until Salah struck
twice to give them the victory that puts them eight points clear at the top of
the Premier League.
The first was classic Salah, his mere presence seemingly
scrambling the mind of Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, whose injudicious
dash from goal was enough for Liverpools marksman to swoop.
Salahs winner was a penalty. No firing a bow this time,
instead showing remarkable courage to rip off his shirt in such atrocious
weather.
The contracts of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent
Alexander-Arnold have provided a permanent sub-plot to head coach Arne Slots
first season, the forward adding his own intrigue with an unprompted
announcement that it may be his last season at Liverpool following the win at
Manchester United.
After his latest exploits, there is now a simple question
for Liverpools owners, the Fenway Sports Group.
How can they possibly allow a situation where a world-class,
game-changing, enduringly brilliant player can walk away for nothing at the of
the season?
Of course, the unknown at least publicly is what Salah
will demand to stay, especially as he can command a huge signing on fee if he
moved on a free transfer, and whether this all fits in with FSGs much-touted
'Moneyball' strategy, which does not encourage long, expensive contracts for
players in their 30s.
The negotiations will be delicate but one major factor is
that even at 32, Salah is as good as ever and in astonishing physical
condition, as he proved when he whipped off his black Liverpool shirt after
scoring the winner.
This is not an ageing superstar in decline. This is a player
maintaining remarkable fitness levels, fiercely driven and ambitious, who is
playing like someone in their peak years.
Salahs future has to be top of the owners agenda. The
manner in which he ensured Liverpool did not slip up in such in such hazardous
surroundings simply emphasised his worth.
The noise is now growing among Liverpools fanbase to see
this piece of business successfully concluded, especially as they see Salah on
a weekly basis, conducting what resembles a personal mission to inspire his
second Premier League triumph at the club.
Salah says little in public but this stunning series of
performances, the sheer elite level consistency as he leads Liverpool to a
strong position to win the title in Slots opening campaign which seemed far
distant at the start of the season make the most eloquent of cases.
And FSG will know only too well that the longer there is no
resolution, the louder the noise off stage will grow.
Every game and every statistic merely acts as a growing body
of evidence that Liverpool simply have to come to an accord with Salah.
Salah is fifth on Liverpools all-time record scoring list
in all competitions with 223 goals from 367 games behind Ian Rush (346), Roger
Hunt (285), Gordon Hodgson (241) and Billy Liddell (228).
Few would back against Salah being third on that list by the
end of the season.
He is also fifth on the league list with 165 goals from 262
games. Hunt leads that list (244), then Hodgson (233), Rush (229) then Liddell
(215).
This season alone, Salah has been involved in 16 of
Liverpools 24 Premier League goals, a total of 67%. He has 12 goals and 10
assists in 18 games in all competitions this season. It works out at a goal
involvement every 65 minutes this season, his best for Liverpool.
Salahs penalty which won the game was his 100th goal away
from home for Liverpool.
He is, quite simply, irreplaceable. Where would Liverpool be
without him? How much would it cost bring in someone anywhere near his calibre
should he leave?
What Salah currently gives Liverpool is almost beyond
financial considerations. They have other high-class, even world-class,
operators but Salah is the player making the difference.
He rescued an average Liverpool display in horrendous
conditions, first as predator then as penalty expert.
Liverpool's owners will surely be as keen to keep Salah as
those on The Kop with banners.
They must somehow find an agreeable price for an asset
delivering priceless performances as Liverpool increasingly scent a title
challenge that was regarded as an outside bet when Slot first arrived.
