Liverpool will live to regret giving Mohamed Salah a record contract extension as the winger is set to leave this summer.
The Pitch Prospect co-host Jason Cundy insists the Reds should have given it to Trent Alexander-Arnold instead, who left Anfield at the end of the 2024/25 season.
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Alexander-Arnold, who moved to Real Madrid, was initially prepared to leave Liverpool for free when his contract expired.
However, the Spanish giants have negotiated a £10m transfer fee with Liverpool to allow Alexander-Arnold to move early so he can help them in the 2025 Club World Cup.
Show me the money
Liverpool were also in danger of losing Salah and standout defender Virgil van Dijk for free at the end of last season, but both signed contract extensions last April.
The Pitch Prospect understands Salah’s new contract included a wage of £400,000 a week.
Still, Salah will only reap the benefits of the deal for one season as he confirmed he will leave Anfield at the end of the 2025/26 season.
It means Liverpool will not pay a transfer fee for the Egyptian superstar, although the eight trophies he has helped the Reds win, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League, will undoubtedly cushion the blow.
Yet Cundy still couldn’t wrap his head around Liverpool’s thinking about who they wanted to keep last season, describing the situation as an “absolute mess”.
Cundy: Liverpool are “upset”
“All the Liverpool fans called and complained about Trent and what happened. They turned down £20m from Real Madrid,” Cundy said in the Sports Bar.
“They gave Mo Salah a two-year contract for £400,000 a week, they gave the contract to the wrong player!”
“They should have given the money to Trent in his prime.
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“So he ran free, they both ran free.”
“So they give Trent the money and all the Liverpool fans groan… they’ve put their eggs in the wrong basket, Liverpool.”
“They thought it out right, they should have given Trent at the peak of his powers, given him what he wanted, sat down, done the deal, done the deal sooner and let Salah go.”
“Suddenly you realize they’re free… wow!
“I mean, this is a mess… this is an absolute mess.”
The Reds cannot ignore the brutal Salah truth
Salah’s attacking performance this season, or lack thereof, lends credence to Cundy’s argument.
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After a season in which he scored 29 league goals, which was the second best goalscoring season of his Liverpool tenure, Salah’s form suffered a drastic decline.
The 33-year-old has only scored five goals in the Premier League this season, meaning he is in serious danger of finishing a season in single figures for the first time in his Liverpool career.
Salah’s decline in attacking contributions has coincided with a dismal title defense by Liverpool, who sit fifth in the top flight with 49 points, 21 behind leaders Arsenal.
Fan verdict
Former professional boxer and Reds fan Paul Smith appeared on The Pitch Prospect’s latest episode of Inside Liverpool hours before the Salah news broke.
And Smith already feared the club would regret some poor decisions last summer.
He said: “It’s scary that we’ve spent as much money as we’ve spent – and we’ll probably have to spend just as much on strengthening the midfield, defense and attack.”
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“We suffer from the players we lost. Diogo Jota was obviously a different case… but Luis Diaz (who moved to Bayern Munich) and Alexander-Arnold.”
“We lack pace on the wings and it’s no coincidence that Salah has lost form. We need to strengthen and get back on the market.”
“It’s not a good prospect to think that the owners will have to spend a lot of money again.”
The Reds and Salah will look to rediscover their form when the Premier League returns after the international break and host Fulham on April 12.