Recently, Egypt’s superstar Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah has become the talk of the football world. Although now 32, he is playing at his best, doing everything on football pitches everywhere: running, manoeuvring, fighting, shooting and scoring as if he is still a teenager. It’s one of his best seasons since joining Liverpool.

He is doing all this even though his future with the club he joined in 2017 is unknown.

Will he leave Liverpool for a new journey with another club? Many teams would rush to grab Salah. There are many deals on the table, and many clubs are interested. Why not? Mo Salah has provided ten goals and ten assists in 17 Liverpool games this season. The forward’s current contract at Anfield is scheduled to expire on 30 June 2025, meaning just a few months to go.

So far, Salah’s football stats include 165 Premier League goals, making him the league’s eighth top scorer of all time; 77 assists, breaking Thierry Henri’s record; and being the first player to score and assist 10+ goals in Europe this season.

Salah has played eight seasons and 261 matches with Liverpool, scoring 163 goals and 74 assists, receiving only eight yellow cards. In the UEFA Champions League, Salah played 70 games, scoring 43 goals with four assists. In the Europa League 2023-24, Salah played nine matches, scored five goals and had three assists, while in the 2019 Club World Cup, he played two games where he failed to score but made one assist. In the same year, he played in a match at the UEFA Super Cup but didn’t score. In 2018, he scored one goal from two games in the International Champions Cup; in 2017, he scored in the one match he played in the Audi Cup. He scored a goal from two games in the same year at the Premier League of Asia Trophy.

Salah participated in 16 World Cup qualifier matches with Egypt, scoring ten goals and two assists and receiving one yellow card. At the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah played in four editions—19 matches, seven goals, and four assists. He played for the Pharaohs in the 2018 World Cup in two games, scoring two goals. 

Despite all this, Salah’s future with Liverpool is not clear though reports say Liverpool intend to open “serious negotiations” with Salah during the November international break. Liverpool’s owners must act now. Fans, especially of Liverpool and Egypt, are watching closely and hope negotiations occur soon. Most believe the English club should sign Salah up to a new contract.

A post on social media asked followers whether Liverpool should sell Salah or keep him. The replies varied, but the majority agreed to keep him. “In my view, Mo Salah is the best player after Messi and Ronaldo's era. The way he delivered his performance in eight consecutive seasons is truly remarkable,” said one post.

“Mo Salah is priceless; let him stay.”

“We’re not selling Salah.” 

“He is our breadwinner. Our other guys are fine but will not provide us with consistent goals. He is still in perfect shape to offer us another 2+ years.”

Not everybody sided with Salah.

“Salah is old now; bring young strikers in. They can perform better than him.”

“I would absolutely sell him and cash in on Allison. Kelleher is as good as Allison, and we can probably sell him for more than we paid for him!”

* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 November 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly