“Let’s not forget…” – Collymore crunches the numbers on Liverpool star man that “has to be worth the spend”

Although he still hasn’t put pen to paper on a new deal, Mo Salah has to be worth the spend for Liverpool according to their ex-striker, Stan Collymore.

The Egyptian King recently put the cat amongst the pigeons again when suggesting that the Reds haven’t yet offered him a new deal, and whilst his words could be considered to be disrespectful, Rio Ferdinand disagrees.

A missed penalty against Real Madrid on Wednesday night in the Champions League notwithstanding, Salah still remains the go-to person for the Reds, and his great form under Jurgen Klopp has continued under Arne Slot.

Mo Salah is worth the spend says Collymore

That’s something which Collymore believes Liverpool have to take into account as they look to decide upon whether to offer him a new contract or not.

“How much is it going to cost to replace Mo Salah? If you look around European football, there isn’t a glut of quality, young ‘Mo Salah’s’ that have the outrageous pace that he still has. Let’s not forget, one of the big things about players when they age is that their pace goes, but there’s no sign of that at all,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“Salah’s ability to get into excellent positions and be clinical is still top class, his goals and assist output is still there, and he’s no trouble.

“Even if you look at it from a marketing perspective, whether it be the fact that he’s a high profile Muslim player from a football mad Egypt where players have huge global recognition, or otherwise, offering Salah a new deal makes absolute sense for Liverpool.

“I’m sure Liverpool haven’t ignored it, and I don’t think there’s a situation brewing, it’s just a classic game of brinkmanship, where the player or the agent says ‘Oh, woe is me, I’m not feeling the love.’

“The club will make appropriate comments at the right time, but I think that Liverpool as a business and FSG as a business will be looking at the situation and wanting to get the numbers right before any negotiations are entered into. They need to make sure the numbers work then move forward with Mo in their squad.

“Unless the Saudis want to pay a ridiculous amount of money in January for Liverpool to sell him early, then the maths are very much on Liverpool paying the 350 grand a week.

“He’s a Liverpool legend, he’s won everything there is to win, and he’s still very, very capable as an A class performer to get Liverpool winning trophies. That has to be worth the spend.”

It’s certainly a very persuasive argument that Collymore makes.

If the Liverpool board want to stick to their usual modus operandi, however, it’s entirely possible that the club won’t offer Salah or his representatives what they’re asking in terms of remuneration.

They do, therefore, run the risk of the player digging his heels in and moving on a free transfer elsewhere next summer.

The old saying that ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till you lose it’ is perfectly applicable here, because Salah’s form and importance to the current Liverpool side is blindingly obvious.

In salary terms, it doesn’t appear that the Egyptian is asking for the earth either and Liverpool would therefore be foolish to keep Salah in abeyance for much longer…