LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool clashes with Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool, during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool FC at London Stadium on April 27, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah doesn’t speak publicly often, but when he does, it tends to make waves. His brief remark as he passed through the mixed zone after the game at the London Stadium this weekend drew a lot of attention, but it didn’t reveal everything that was going on.
“If I speak, there’s going to be trouble today,” he said while passing through. These words had more impact than anything he might have said to the reporters gathered there. Ironically, by making that comment, Salah only fueled speculation about the underlying issues.
About an hour before, Salah was seen in a heated exchange with his manager, Jürgen Klopp, on the sidelines. The Egyptian star has been struggling with form since returning from injury, but this was the most unexpected sight yet.
The fallout from this public argument is sure to continue, and discussions about what big decisions need to be made regarding Salah this summer have already started and are likely to escalate.
He, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, is set to be out of contract at the end of the next season as things currently stand. When a player’s contract approaches the final year, it generally means one of two things: they either sign an extension or prepare to leave.
TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist suggested after the West Ham game that it could be a situation that benefits both sides. He remarked, “It might suit Mo Salah to move on, and it might suit Liverpool to reinvest the money they get for him.”
Others share this perspective, but Salah has been instrumental to Liverpool’s success. It’s one thing to consider that he might leave, but it’s another to actually replace him—especially in the same summer as losing Klopp.
The transition from Klopp to Arne Slot will be challenging enough without losing the team’s star player at the same time. And while any new contract must be based on what Salah can contribute in the future, rather than just recognizing past achievements, his value to Liverpool is evident from his basic statistics.
This season, Salah has 36 goal contributions across all competitions—five more than Darwin Núñez, who is in second place with 10 fewer appearances. The Egyptian is by far Liverpool’s top scorer and playmaker in the final third.
If Liverpool considers moving on from Salah, they must be sure they can replace his output. Bukayo Saka’s 15 goal contributions this season is notable, but Salah has surpassed that mark in each of his seven seasons at Liverpool, including this one. Although he’s been less consistent since the start of the year, he still has a goal every other game in the Premier League during this period.
Letting go of that kind of goal-scoring threat due to a few months of inconsistent form would be unwise, especially while Liverpool navigates a transition to a new head coach. Salah’s contributions, even during a relatively underwhelming year, show that he is invaluable. The sideline drama at West Ham hasn’t changed that fact.
