Salah and his renewal with Liverpool: from imminent farewell to an unexpected surprise

The debacle experienced in the last week after the elimination from the Champions League at the hands of PSG and the defeat in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle has led Liverpool to make crucial decisions for the upcoming season. The 'reds', who have practically secured the Premier League title, have outlined a roadmap to become competitive again outside the league, which would bring about a radical change in the institution's plans.

Just a few days ago, Mohamed Salah's departure from Anfield Road was taken for granted. Negotiations for his renewal were stalled, and everything pointed to the player ending his journey on the red side of Merseyside after almost 8 years wearing the red shirt, even being linked to clubs like FC Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain, who would have shown interest in signing him for free.

However, events seem to have taken an unexpected turn in recent hours. According to 'The Athletic', both the Egyptian and Virgil van Dijk have reached an agreement with the 'scouser' entity to extend their stay in Arne Slot's squad. After months of speculation, both parties have managed to unlock their 'soap operas' and will sign their new contracts before the summer.

Salah's priority was to stay at Liverpool

The player has always made it clear his desire to continue defending the Liverpool badge, but the offers made from the offices of Anfield Road did not meet the expectations of a player who has earned the right to demand a contract commensurate with his star status.

The solid structure of the team under Arne Slot and the club's efforts to strengthen the attack with a top-level figure to accompany him (Is Alexander Isak?) have been key in reinforcing his decision to continue, and although figures have not yet been disclosed, the new commitment from the African will surely place him in the highest salary tier of the club and the Premier League.

If 'Mo's' renewal is confirmed, Al-Hilal and Barça would lose one of their major targets for the upcoming season. The Saudi club has offered a salary of up to 50 million euros per season, a prohibitive figure for any European club, to bring him into their ranks, while the Catalans considered his signing as a market opportunity, provided the player lowered his salary demands.

Thus, what was expected to be one of the summer's 'soap operas' could have come to an end prematurely. Teams like PSG or Inter Milan may have also tried to convince the player to join their squads for the next season, but Liverpool has taken the lead and is one step away from securing the continuity of their star player.