Liverpool are said to be considering the departure of Mohamed Salah, according to reports, with the Premier League runners up pinning a £60 million asking price on the Egyptian forward.
The 30-year-old, who is about to enter the final year of his five-year deal at Anfield, has been linked with a summer move as contract talks continue to drag on.
In fact, Salah has been in 'deadlock' with Liverpool for almost a year over his pay.
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He is demanding £400,000 per-week in wages, claim The Mirror – a figure that would put him alongside some of football's biggest earners.
Sadio Mane, who recently joined Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to £35 million, was also keen to earn £400,000 per-week in wages at Anfield. But Liverpool were not willing to break their wage structure.
Virgil van Dijk is the highest earner at the club. The Dutch centre-back is believed to be on £240,000 per-week wage at the Champions League finalists; a sum that doesn't include bonuses.
That means Salah, who currently earns £240,000 per-week, wants £160,000 more than Van Dijk.
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Athough Liverpool would 'love' the player to stay, say The Sun – the club are not willing to break that structure in wages, which means he could follow Sadio Mane out the door if contract talks continue to stagnate.
That same report suggests the club's owners, FSG, will consider offloading the Egyptian forward if they receive an offer in the region of £60 million.
A number of clubs are reportedly monitoring Salah's situation, including Real Madrid.
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In fact, a report from The Independent said his dream is to play in Spain.
“News that he would be open to another Premier League move is true," the Reading the Game newsletter read. "But sources close to the player still insist a dream is to plan in Spain, preferably Real Madrid.”
David Ornstein of The Athletic confirmed earlier this month that Liverpool’s stringent wage structure is why no new deal for Salah has yet been agreed.
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“What is essential here is the wage structure that needs to be respected for Liverpool to keep a harmonious camp and to remain sustainable,” he said.
“Paying Mo Salah in excess of £400,000 a week as he heads into his 30s is one thing. It’s a much bigger question than paying Darwin Nunez, I don’t know what it will be about £80, 90, 100, 110,000 a week.
“That slots in perfectly and that is part of Liverpool’s methodology going forward. Paying in excess of 400,000 pounds a week is not, and perhaps that’s why we don’t have an agreement on Salah as things stand.”
Thoughts on Salah's future at Liverpool?
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Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Liverpool, Mohamed Salah, Transfers, Real Madrid, Premier League