Despite the forward saying he plans to stay at the club next season, Stewart thinks he could still be a Real Madrid player. The song is called "1:28."
By saying that he would still be at the club next season, he created an even bigger problem for the club. You only have to look at how the past 12 months have played out for Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Paul Pogba to know that it is the player who now holds all the cards.
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It's a big boost for the team to hear that the leading goal scorer is staying, just days before the final. The uncertainty over the Egypt international's future would have swirled if he chose to follow his teammate and strike partner Sadio Mane and leave everyone guessing.
While he dealt with a short-term issue by saying he would still be at the club next season, he really only kicked the can down the road in terms of his long-term commitment to the club.
There is no sign of him signing a new deal anytime soon as he has just 12 months to run on his contract. It is certain that he will be the winner in what has become a crucial financial decision for the club.
If he stays at the club, he can expect to join Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland on a salary worth in the region of $400,000-a-week. The highest paid player in the world is the one from Manchester United, who makes over $500,000 per week. If he decides that it is time for a new challenge, he will know that his status as a free agent will allow him to choose any of the lucrative contracts that would be offered in 2023.
After the end of Lionel Messi's contract at Barcelona last summer, Paris Saint-Germain was able to sign him, despite the fact that Real Madrid was willing and able to take him to the Santiago. Despite not being able to command the same kind of pay deal awarded to Messi and Mbappe, the 29-year-old is the master of his own destiny and will be richly rewarded wherever he chooses.
As he attempts to win a second European title with the Reds this weekend, he is already a much more appealing target than the Frenchman. He scored 31 goals this season and also had 13 goals created. There is still plenty to offer at the top end of the game at 29 years old.
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Despite the many positives of securing Salah to a long-term contract, the problem for the club is that he is in the same situation as the other player, and that has been a problem for the club in recent seasons. The dilemma for the new sporting director at the club is how to deal with the future of the two players.
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If Salah is worth a salary of 400,000,000-a-week, then he could argue for the same, but he would be committing to two huge contracts for players approaching their 30s and top clubs are increasingly reluctant to be locked into expensive long-term deals.
Why? If a star player starts to slow down and lose his place with half of his contract still to run, it can be an expensive mistake. There are exceptions, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Milner, who are still effective in the squad at the age of 36, but players tend to be at their peak in their mid to late 20s.
Mark feels that the decision of Mohamed Salah to stay at the Reds next season is positive, but he is worried about the possibility of losing him for free next summer.
It would be a gamble for the Reds to give him a longer deal when he is approaching his 30s, as his fitness record suggests he can still make an impact when he is older. They could let him go and use the money to sign a replacement for him and boost his contract. With emerging stars like Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz already giving us a glimpse of the future, the club might decide that the financial cost of keeping Salah is too much.
It will be a decision with many layers and many different options. As the end of his contract approaches, the noise that was surrounding him and his future will only get louder and louder, thanks to the fact that he will stay next season.
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