Liverpool are approaching a crossroads moment in the January transfer window, where owner John W Henry has some difficult decisions to make in deciding the club's future
John Henry at Anfield
Liverpool owner John Henry could be under pressure to dig into his pockets once again this winter
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It's not often Liverpool have found themselves under pressure to improve in recent January transfer windows. However, a lacklustre first half of the campaign has put club owner John W Henry in a difficult position regarding their winter plans.
The Fenway Sports Group supremo boasts a gargantuan net worth of around £4.2billion, according to Forbes. But the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) mean spending through one's means isn't as straightforward as that.
Mohamed Salah's prickly situation at Anfield is one potential money-maker that could help the club following his rant at the club shortly before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations. Finance expert Kieran Maguire has revealed how the club could go on the offensive this month, as well as what role Salah could play in helping to bankroll further investments.
"Liverpool have got the benefit of, yes, they had a spectacular summer of 2025, but if you take a look at their losses in the two previous years, they were never in danger of breaching PSR," he told the ECHO. "So that's given them the capacity to spend. And remember, if you sign a player, the cost of the signing is spread over the contract. It's spread over five years for example.
"So if you sign a £50million player in January, six months of that will go into your account. So it's going to cost you £5m. Now £5m, you get £3.5m per place in the Premier League.
"The important thing, again from Liverpool's point of view - and they seem to have turned the corner in terms of what's happening on the pitch - is to finish in the top five positions and get that participation."
Maguire acknowledged the summer of heavy spending that saw Liverpool shell out a little more than £400m on new signings. That was at least somewhat offset as the club brought in around £190m through player sales, however.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion
Mohamed Salah is once again attracting interest from Saudi Arabia and could finally be bound for the Anfield exit
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Marc Guehi was believed to be en route to Anfield from Crystal Palace before that deal fell through on deadline day. Maguire believes that move is still very much on the cards in January, where Salah's potential exit could free up a handy amount of financial flex.
"Well, his wages are probably going to be something like £15m a year. So, if he left he would free up the wage budget," he added. "On top of that, because he's been there so long, effectively any money that they get is pure profit. And that goes into your top line."
Maguire continued: "He's got 18 months remaining in his contract. So, there's no reason why they couldn't get £60m or £70m from a club in the Saudi Pro League, even for a player of his age.
"I think the Saudi Pro League is very conscious that it needs, at some point in time, to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as sort of the focal point of the league. And Mohamed Salah would achieve that on a number of levels."
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In the event Salah were to leave, it would create a slight void in Liverpool's attack. Granted, the Egyptian has been out of sorts this season and was sidelined by Arne Slot prior to his AFCON exit but would nonetheless need replacing.
Henry could well welcome Saudi interest this month if it meant receiving an inflated fee to free an ageing Salah in light of this season's form. And it may be the only avenue through which Liverpool would be able to spend significantly this winter.
When asked about the proposition of Liverpool replacing Salah in the same month he leaves, Maguire said: "There's always two issues. One, do you have the cash? And two, can you do it from a PSR point of view?
"From a PSR point of view, they've got no trouble. From a cash point of view, deals are normally spread over three to four years. If they felt that was the difference between qualifying and not qualifying for the Champions League, then it's a no-brainer. You go for it."