Liverpool Could Owe Former Player Some Credit If Mohamed Salah Agrees to a New Anfield Contract
Mohamed Salah, a key player for Liverpool, has less than a year remaining on his current deal at Anfield.
If Salah decides to renew his contract and continue his career at Liverpool, the club may have to give some credit to their former star, Sadio Mane. Mane left Liverpool for Bayern Munich in 2022 but moved to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia after just one season in Germany.
Mane was a pivotal figure during his six years at Anfield, where he played a crucial role in Liverpool’s success, helping them win major titles like the Premier League, Champions League, and Club World Cup.
By the time he departed, Mane had scored 120 goals and provided 42 assists in 269 appearances for the club, cementing his legacy at Liverpool.
Sadio Mané was 30 when he completed his move to Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena. Despite high expectations, his time in the Bundesliga was underwhelming, as he often found himself left out of the starting line-up during the latter stages of his only season with the club.
When Al-Nassr showed interest, Bayern took the opportunity to sell him, managing to recover much of the £35 million they had paid Liverpool.
Since his switch to Saudi Arabia, Mané’s standing in the football world has further diminished, as the quality of play in the Saudi league is considerably lower than that of Europe’s elite competitions.
In his 50 appearances for Al-Nassr, the Senegalese forward has recorded 19 goals and 13 assists. However, these numbers seem less impressive when compared to his 39-year-old teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who has nearly averaged a goal per match since arriving at the club.
The Liverpool Echo reports that Mané’s diminishing reputation following his move to Saudi Arabia is seen as one of the factors discouraging Mohamed Salah from making a similar move.
A source has disclosed to the publication that Mohamed Salah “doesn’t want to follow the path of Sadio Mane, even if it means earning more money.”
Salah has taken into account the smaller crowds, lower quality of football, and the reduced global attention in Saudi Arabia over the past year.
He has carefully weighed these factors against the financial benefits of joining other European players moving to the Middle East. Ultimately, Salah has decided he would prefer to remain at Liverpool beyond his current contract.
However, the Egyptian forward, who currently earns £350,000 per week at Anfield, may need to take the initiative to demonstrate to Liverpool’s management that he is genuinely interested in extending his stay.
The 32-year-old made a significant revelation during an interview with Sky Sports, following his goal and two assists in Liverpool’s match against Manchester United on Sunday. During the interview, he explained: “I was coming to the game, I was saying, ‘Look, it could be the last time [I play at Old Trafford]’.
He then added: “Nobody in the club talked to me yet about contracts so I was just like, ‘Okay, I play my last season and see at the end of the season’. I feel I am free to play football – we will see what happens next year.”
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