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    HomeSportsLiverpool must prove Salah is not another Suarez or Coutinho

    Liverpool must prove Salah is not another Suarez or Coutinho

    Liverpool’s rich history is littered with names of superstar strikers that re-wrote the record books and delivered much sought-after major silverware during their time on Merseyside.

    Tales of their exploits will forever hold a place in Anfield folklore – they are timeless, immortal and guaranteed of a standing that many dare of dream of securing, but few actually achieve.

    There are, however, too many stories of what might have been, especially in modern times. You do not have to turn the clock back far, some 10 years or so, to get a taste of transfer frustration.

    Finding fearsome forwards has never been a problem for Liverpool, but retaining them is a different matter entirely. Fernando Torres, Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho have all starred for the Reds, but also seen their heads turned by supposedly greener grass on the other side.

    In the present, Mohamed Salah is a hero for the masses, a talismanic figure that would not look out of place in any team in world football. Liverpool are lucky to have him, and they know as much.

    Can they keep him?

    Salah exploits in 2021-22 have him in the running for a third Golden Boot, while a remarkable level of consistency has sports betting markets such as those at William Hill pricing Liverpool at 11/4 to claim a second Premier League title.

    If an Egyptian icon were to depart Anfield, then it is fair to assume that Jurgen Klopp’s side would not be as fancied as they currently are. The solution to that problem is easy, on paper at least, with a new contract said to have been in the pipeline for some time.

    <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The highest-scoring African player in <a href=”https://twitter.com/premierleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@PremierLeague</a> history.?<br><br>Incredible, <a href=”https://twitter.com/MoSalah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MoSalah</a> ? <a href=”https://t.co/BlUXCjM6Kr”>pic.twitter.com/BlUXCjM6Kr</a></p>&mdash; Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href=”https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1452307729507356677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

    No paperwork has been signed, though, and that continues to keep the rumor mill ticking over. The Reds have been here before and have the receipts from Torres, Sterling, Suarez and Coutinho sales to serve as painful reminders of what could be.

    Liverpool now have an opportunity to prove that they are no longer a stepping stone, that they do not have to do business with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain just because cash is being thrown around like Monopoly money.

    Klopp and Co can put down a marker when it comes to Salah. The past cannot be changed, but the present and future is theirs to dictate. It will take an eye-watering offer to keep a 29-year-old in his current surroundings, but now is the time to speculate and accumulate.

    Will Salah stay put?

    Liverpool have already tied Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to fresh terms this season, so those behind the scenes are clearly doing something right.

    <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The best in the world ✋ <a href=”https://twitter.com/MoSalah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MoSalah</a> <a href=”https://t.co/Um91q8sGRq”>pic.twitter.com/Um91q8sGRq</a></p>&mdash; Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) <a href=”https://twitter.com/TrentAA/status/1452329701314383884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

    Salah is slightly different – he is the face of the club, a Ballon d’Or contender and player at an age where he knows he probably only has one more big contract or move left in him. The Reds need to persuade him to stay put.

    The noises coming out of the Salah camp are positive. He has told Sky Sports of his future: “If you ask me, I would love to stay until the last day of my football career, but I can’t say much about that – it’s not in my hands.

    “It depends on what the club want, not on me. At the moment I can’t see myself ever playing against Liverpool. That would make me sad.”

    Music to the ears of Klopp and every Liverpool supporter across the planet. They are, however, just words.

    There is a big difference between talking the talk and walking the walk. Salah continues to do both on the field, but will he soon be doing likewise off it?

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