Mohamed Salah (foto: Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah has extended his Liverpool contract despite massive Saudi offers. A bold decision that prioritizes elite football over fortune and sets the tone for Liverpool’s rebuild.
Everything could have been different. But Mohamed Salah chose football—not fortune.
After months of speculation, Liverpool’s first star has extended his contract with the club, choosing to stay on at least two more years. The 32-year-old Egyptian icon will continue dazzling fans, weaving past defenders and scoring goals at Anfield, earning around £20 million per season—similar to his previous salary.
From the outside, it seemed Liverpool’s management weren’t thrilled to give such a massive deal to a player in his thirties, but Salah's form this season left them no choice. With Trent Alexander-Arnold already heading to Real Madrid, losing Salah would have been a PR disaster.
He is, after all, the Premier League’s best player, top scorer, Africa’s most famous footballer, and a global icon—especially in the Islamic world. Salah is more than just a footballer; he is stardust, a brand, a beacon of identity and pride for millions. He makes the global north a shade less racist and less Islamophobic.
Liverpool loves Salah, and he clearly loves Liverpool. How could they not? With 243 goals in 393 appearances, he ranks third on the club's all-time scorers list behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. This season alone, he's delivered 32 goals and 23 assists. Simply astonishing.
If money were his motive, he could have let his contract run out and signed for a Saudi Arabian club. Billions awaited him. The Saudi autocrats would have flooded his accounts, offered him palaces and praise, all in hopes of adding his name to their mercenary league filled with aging stars. But Salah didn't care. He wanted real football. Elite competition. Legacy.
He’s not that old, either. Robert Lewandowski still scores for Barcelona at 36. Luka Modrić remains vital at 39. Salah turns 33 in June. He still has time. But football moves fast.
Liverpool’s management know this. Perhaps that’s why they weren’t in a rush. Salah’s form has dipped lately—just one goal from open play at Anfield since Christmas. Three shots on target in seven games. He looked a shadow of himself against PSG. The cold reality of modern football: it's no country for old men.
Liverpool’s early-season trance is over. They look very human now. Still champions-elect, yes—but with doubts about the future. Reports say Virgil Van Dijk will also extend his contract. That means the "band" will stay together. But does that mean another title run? Or just nostalgia on the pitch?
Arne Slot, the philosophical Dutchman who replaced Jürgen Klopp, has overachieved. But even he knows that fresh blood is needed. The League Cup final was embarrassing. The PSG knockout was bitter. The recent slump is a warning. Extending legends' contracts isn’t enough.
Liverpool must act in the transfer market. They've been conservative in recent windows. Now they must rebuild—a team that can dominate at home and in Europe. Salah and Van Dijk staying is the start. But only the start. A foundation.
Mohamed Salah chose football over fortune. That says everything about who he is—and what Liverpool must become.