The former Roma star will turn 33 when his current contract expires, but shows little sign of getting old or ageing. Earlier this season, Klopp claimed that his full-back was not “biologically similar” to other players on the wrong side of the number 30, and it’s easy to see that Salah is the same as other elite strikers It is also reasonable for Salah to stay at Liverpool.Now he has a break from the Africa Cup of Nations and club football and who knows, he could win the Golden Boot, Player of the Year and maybe even the Ballon d’Or if everything goes according to plan. Chasing trophies and breaking records have always been Salah’s main motivations. Ian Rush revealed that the forward was recently asked about his goalscoring record at Liverpool. In Saudi Arabia, there is no opportunity for such praise and recognition for Salah. Sadio Mane may have finished runner-up in the 2022 Ballon d’Or, but Salah’s team-mate and rival the Senegal forward has turned to football since leaving Anfield. Now at Al Nassr, Mane is only a few months older than Salah but is already in the twilight of his career and is unlikely to return to the top of the Ballon d’Or rankings.
Meanwhile, Mane’s teammate Cristiano Ronaldo may be ahead of everyone else in world football in 2023, but who cares? Salah, who dreams of joining Saudi Arabia’s professional league due to his status as the Arab world’s biggest sporting icon, may find it easier to settle in Saudi Arabia than, say, Henderson.
He gets the respect he loves and the money he could never spend as he is presented as the jewel in the crown of this new adventure. But the example of his former team-mates shows that this is also a big risk for a player who is not yet sure if he is ready to leave the pinnacle of world football. The Saudis might want to create their own Premier League, but why copy it when there is a real one? And are you the best player in the business? If Salah is really interested, there might be another chance in a few years. For now, Liverpool still have a lot to conquer.
It has been a remarkable solo season for the Egyptian, who at 31 recently scored 200 goals for the club as Jurgen Klopp’s main striker.
During 2023, Salah became the only player to score and assist more than 15 goals in any of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in the Premier League since Thierry Henry 20 years ago years.
Anfield Watch recently reported that Salah has been tipped to extend his Liverpool contract beyond the 2025 deadline, which would be a sensible move for all parties.
He left a very high standard of impression for 40 years.From Liverpool’s perspective, there is no player who can replace Salah and you can bet that won’t change in the coming years.
