A few days ago, Ian Graham gave an insight into the complicated contract talks of the Liverpool with the striker Mohamed Salah. The former data chief of the association, who was responsible for all transfers in Liverpool and had voluntarily resigned from his position in 2023 after eleven years, reported on the internal considerations in the last rounds of negotiations with the Egyptian. Before signing in the summer of 2022 for three further seasons, he recommended the Liverpool Management to give the then 30-year-old Salah not to hand over a new contract due to his age, said Graham on the “Business of Football Summit” of the Financial Times. But the power of the statistics forced him to “take an objective point of view”. Graham admitted that he was “surprised”, as footballers from Salah’s Kaliber could still perform “at the same time” after her 30th birthday. Therefore, they decided to fight Salah’s whereabouts, which was ultimately a “hard piece of work”.
Graham’s thoughts symbolize the new spectacular contract shadow spectacle, which the Liverpool Football Club and its supposedly three most important football employees have been listing on the Angard Road for many months. Because in this June not only Salah’s contract expires, but also the working papers of the captain Virgil van Dijk and the right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. You could leave the club free of charge in four months. Their market value is currently 150 million euros.
Such a constellation may have never existed in top football. In months-long, grueling conversations there is obviously more poker, blunt and delayed than in the casino city of Las Vegas-although one could throw in joking that this is exactly the domain of the US exchange dealer John W. Henry, who, together with his business partners Tom Werner and Mike Gordon Group (FSG) checked. In principle, their business model consists of trade and speculation with professional sports clubs.
The association endeavors to employ as few over-30-year-olds as possible
As a rule, football clubs urge it to extend early with their top performers or sell them if there is a lack of agreement so as not to come under pressure in the end. At Liverpool FC, it looks like it is more like the other way around – as if the players see the contract extensions more urgent than their association. One reason for this could be that the Reds would like to avoid Manchester City’s mistake that broke furiously this season: Liverpool’s permanent rival busy nine players who are older than 30 years and no longer get to their old level. Experienced players are usually more susceptible to injuries and are up in the salary structure.
It can be assumed that Liverpool would like to keep all three beyond the season, but the club tour is not easy to give in to their demands. According to reporters, the ideas differ significantly, financially and in the contract term. Since the FSG takeover in 2010, the Merseyside club has been striving to employ as few professionals over 30 as possible. Van Dijk is 33, Salah 32, Alexander-Arnold 26. For the first mentioned, it could be the last highly endowed contract in Europe. If such players decrease, this will show more in reducing the minute of the game than in a fundamental decrease in quality, Graham explained.
Salah and van Dijk are currently in impressive form according to both criteria. They are by far the most frequently used players in the squad and with their performance. Liverpool also leads the Premier League because of it and is considered a favorite in the Champions League Rendezvous with Paris Saint-Germain. The round of 16 began in Paris on Wednesday (9 p.m.). Despite Salah and van Dijk’s world -class performance, the LFC has a good negotiating position. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that the club has an excellent viewing network and even compensated for the departure of the coach Jürgen Klopp by Arne Slot without losses. On the other hand, the options of the players are likely to be limited because many transfers at advanced age work rather moderately from the point of view of the clubs: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Sadio Mané, Casemiro are prominent examples.
So far, apart from the persistent interest in Salah from Saudi Arabia, no offers are known. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that Liverpool with Salah and van Dijk ultimately makes an agreement. Especially since both constantly show through that after so many years of wanting to stay on the Anfield Road. The Causa Alexander-Arnold is more complicated. If Real Madrid, as is willing, is willing to hire him as the successor to the right -back Dani Carvajal, so far hardly anyone has knocked out such an offer. Even if Alexander-Arnold said it was his dream to become captain in Liverpool.
The level of knowledge of the negotiations is vague. FC Liverpool has not yet commented on any personnel. Meanwhile, the club’s fans are calling for their favorites to remain. “FSG, Give Mo & Co. Their Dough”, they rhymed on a poster: Give Salah and Co. more money! And Ian Graham? He says he is happy not to be responsible this time.
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