Sport

Salah renewal gives Liverpool time to find his replacement

Mohamed Salah wasted no time in proving why Liverpool were right to hand him a new contract. Just two days after news of the Egyptian’s extended stay at Anfield was confirmed, Salah produced the game-breaking moment to set up Luis Diaz for the opener against West Ham, putting the Reds on the brink of the Premier League title.

Salah has been Liverpool’s primary difference-maker all season long. The 32-year-old is having the season of his life. Nobody has scored more Premier League goals than Salah who is also leading the division in assists. These numbers gave Liverpool no choice but to tie him down to a new contract.

The bigger picture, however, remains the same. Liverpool need a rebuild and a long-term replacement for Salah who will be firmly into his thirties by the time the Egyptian reaches the end of his new contract. Salah’s decision to stick around gives the Anfield club more time to get things right as they head into a new era.

Of course, it’s not particularly realistic to expect that Liverpool will find a like-for-like replacement for Salah even if they have another two years to cast their net far and wide. Salah is one of the best attackers of his generation. There are only a handful of players on his level and Liverpool are lucky to have had him for so long.

Nonetheless, the Reds must consider how they want their forward line to look once Salah finally leaves. This could involve the recruitment of a new number nine. Darwin Nunez has struggled for consistency over the course of his Liverpool career, leading to speculation that the club could make for a new striker this summer.

Diaz has enjoyed the best season of his time on Merseyside to date. Even still, it’s been suggested that the Colombian could leave Anfield should Liverpool receive the right offer for him. Barcelona are believed to be long-term admirers of Diaz and could make a move should they miss out on Nico Williams.

Liverpool might have kept hold of their best attacker for the next two seasons, but there is a lot of uncertainty over the future of the rest of their forward line. Arne Slot might have ideas on how to impose his own ideas on a team that isn’t truly his after inheriting Liverpool’s current squad from Jurgen Klopp.

“Relief? For the fans I think so,” said Slot when asked after beating West Ham how Liverpool’s supporters should feel about Salah finally renewing his contract to stay at Anfield until 2027. “It’s no surprise to you I knew a bit better how the contract situation went over the course of the whole season.

“Maybe for the fans it was a pleasant surprise. I knew a bit longer things were heading in the right direction. It is a big compliment to Richard Hughes [Liverpool sporting director] because Mo Salah, as a free agent, can go to any club he wants to. But he stayed at our club and that’s also a compliment for Richard.”

It’s not just Salah Liverpool need a succession plan for. Virgil Van Dijk is another key player entering the twilight of his career. Even if the Dutchman joins Salah in extending his career, the Reds must find a new dominant centre back to take over from Van Dijk when he finally suffers a decline.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is widely expected to leave Anfield at the end of the season. This raises questions over Liverpool’s strength in the right back position while many believe the Reds need a new left back to provide competition for the increasingly error-prone Andy Robertson. Salah’s extension, however, allows them to exhale for the time being.