Mohamed Salah has appeared to reveal his future plans amid rumours linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia's professional league, sending a strong message to the Liverpool star's new manager, Arne Sloot.
The Merseyside outfit are preparing for what they hope will be a bright new era at Anfield with the Dutch coach slotted as Jurgen Klopp's successor, and although the German left last week as a bona fide club legend, Liverpool will be hoping that the transition from one era to another does not see the decline that many observers predict.
The new era at Anfield will be led by Michael Edwards, who returns to the club as CEO of Football, with his first two tasks being the appointment of Richard Hughes as the new sporting director and Slott as Klopp's successor as first-team manager.
Indeed, Slott himself was selected due to his similar talent management skills to Klopp, as well as his approach to match tactics and formations.
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But any manager is only as good as the players he has at his disposal and Slott will be desperate to ensure that many of Klopp's key players remain at Anfield for the time being.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Salah's contracts are all due to expire in 2025, so Edwards' next task this summer will be to secure contract extensions for all three players.
The case surrounding Salah is particularly significant as the winger has been the subject of an intense campaign to secure a move to the Saudi Pro League, which has become a running theme.
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Indeed, Al-Ittihad had a £150m bid for Salah rejected last summer but are still pursuing the Egyptian and hope to lure him to the Gulf state with a staggering wage package of around £1.5m per week – a deal that would make Salah the highest-paid sportsman on the planet.
However, it is understood Salah has decided to put any transfer plans on hold for now and remain loyal to the club for at least the remainder of his current contract, and could potentially sign a new contract if he is happy with the direction the club is heading under Slott.
However, a future move to the Saudi Professional League cannot be ruled out, with Al-Ittihad currently prepared to wait another year on his contract, hoping to lure him to the Middle East as a free agent in the summer of 2025.
Such a move would put the ball in Liverpool's hands, forcing them to either sign him to a new contract or accept an offer this summer if they don't want to lose their star player on a free transfer a year from now.
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Salah has scored an astounding 211 goals in 349 appearances during his seven seasons at Anfield, scoring 25 or more goals in all but one of those seasons.
Salah conveys Liverpool's verdict to Arne Slott
Either way, former Reds midfielder Vladimir Smicer believes Salah is looking after himself well enough to continue playing into his late 30s, meaning the 31-year-old can afford to wait for a move to the Middle East.
“He has a year left on his contract so we need to see what the plans are for him. Physically he looks fit for another three or four years. Look at Cristiano Ronaldo – he's 39 and still playing and his legs are still strong. Salah could do the same,” Smicer explained.
Speaking about his own future, Smicer added: “Mohamed Salah's situation is very tough. He may be old but he is still Liverpool's best striker, scoring lots of goals and breaking records.”
“Obviously, there will be a new manager and it will be a difficult decision, but he deserves a lot of respect for what he has done for Liverpool. Let him decide what he wants to do this summer and never let him leave Anfield.”
But Salah appears determined to stay at Anfield, at least for the time being, in the hopes of assuming a leading role in the slot era.
Salah made his loyalty to the Reds clear on his Instagram page, posting a picture of his new look with his trademark afro shaved, before writing: “I know trophies are what matters and I will do everything I can to make that happen next season. The fans deserve it and we will fight like hell.”