Lost in the hullaballoo of Liverpool dropping points to Newcastle - and then the compressed schedule turning their attention to the now postponed Merseyside Derby - is that the Red’s talisman, Mohamed Salah, has etched his name into yet another piece of Premier League history. With his brace and assist against the Magpies, Salah passed Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney. Even better: Salah reached that mark in 216 fewer matches.
It is yet another example of not only the quality of the players once pegged a “one season wonder,” but also of his absolutely scorching form at present. And while one must believe that negotiations involving players at this level are complex, it can’t be hard to believe that the brain trust at Liverpool has certainly felt pressure over extending the contract of the Egyptian King.
Well, if reports from Liverpool.com and sourced through the Sunday Mirror are to be believed, it’s possible that Richard Hughes and Company have finally been convinced. Word on the street is that Liverpool and Salah have reached agreement on a two-year extension, keeping the icon and, arguably, Liverpool’s best-ever Premier League player (and certainly among the top 5 in the competition all-time) around for two more seasons. It’d be two more years of his outrageous form and, potentially, even more attacking records falling.
Should this be true - and hopefully by the time the clock turns over into Sunday, we’ll have confirmation - it would only be welcomed by the Liverpool faithful. The rare star that has insisted that they want to stay on Merseyside and one that is likely to go down in the discussion among Liverpool’s best ever, this would truly be great news. I understand that this whole endeavor is indeed a business, but if there was a player in this squad that had earned the right to call time on their career in Red all on their own, it would be Mo.
Here’s hoping this early festive present might also mean we’re closer to some other great gifts: that the contract extensions of Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold might land under the Liverpool tree in time for Christmas.