Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool remains up in the air with the forward’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, having last signed a new deal in 2022
Liverpool owner John W. Henry reportedly took advice from former Manchester United chief Ed Woodward over Mohamed Salah‘s contract in 2022. The Reds have enjoyed a stellar start to the 2024/25 campaign under Arne Slot, but the potential departure of Salah next summer remains a huge concern.
Like team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, whose contracts also expire in 2025, Salah is yet to sign a new deal with Liverpool. The superstar goalscorer, who grabbed the winner against Brighton at Anfield on Saturday, was linked with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad last year before the Reds rejected their eye-watering offer of £150million.
However, the Egyptian ace provided a cryptic update on Sunday on social media. He posted the phrase “no matter what happens” while reflecting on the victory over Brighton, which many have taken as a hint that he’ll be leaving next year.
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Now, the Daily Mail has stunningly reported that one man who was involved in the process of the forward being offered potentially his last Liverpool contract was none other than ex-United executive vice-chairman Woodward, whose time at Old Trafford came to an end in April 2022.
It is claimed that, ahead of the 2022 Champions League final, which Liverpool lost 1-0, majority Reds owner Henry was desperate to tie Salah down with a new contract extension. Henry, at the time, had become close with Woodward, who was a highly unpopular figure at rivals United. The pair collaborated on ‘Project Big Picture’ – a plan hatched by the owners of Liverpool and United to shake up how money was redistributed across English football clubs.
Despite Salah’s remarkable performances since his arrival at Liverpool in 2017, only Paris Saint-Germain were linked with a move for him at the time. Salah, however, didn’t view PSG as the ideal place to achieve his Ballon d’Or ambitions, putting Liverpool in a strong position to discuss a new contract with their key player as his options appeared limited.
Former accountant and investment banker Woodward incredibly advised the billionaire on how Liverpool could approach contract talks with Salah. Woodward shared his own challenges with managing player expectations at United after awarding David de Gea a mammoth contract in 2019, using his experience as a cautionary tale for Liverpool.
Two years earlier, following a win over Tottenham in December 2020, Salah had been interviewed by two reporters from Spain. His most eye-opening response was one where he stated he was “very disappointed” at being overlooked for the role of stand-in captain during a dead-rubber Champions League fixture earlier that month.
He also described Real Madrid and Barcelona as ‘top clubs’, hinting that his future at Anfield was dependent on decision-makers at Liverpool. The Reds interpreted Salah’s interview as an attempt to connect with a Spanish audience, potentially strengthening his position in any upcoming negotiations which would commence the following summer – two years before his contract expiry.
However, since then, the 32-year-old has consistently demonstrated his worth to the Reds, and may even guide them to another Premier League title this season after a dream weekend for Liverpool in terms of results at the top of the table. But whether the Egyptian ever puts pen to paper, or is even offered a fresh deal by the club whose fans love him so much, remains to be seen.
