Examining the next steps following announcement that Mo Salah is expected to stay at Liverpool

Following a drama filled weekend that saw a lot of fans and media pundits wrongly vilifying Mohamed Salah, reports have surfaced that the club fully expects him to remain at the club through the summer transfer window.

The growing sentiment was that after resisting multiple overtures from the Saudi Pro League last summer, this was the time to cash in with the Egyptian megastar entering the final year of his contract.

So, with the news that the Reds will in fact not be losing their talisman barring an unforeseen U-turn, what are the next steps for both club and player? Let's get into it.

Option 1: Let him play out his contract next season and become a free agent next summer

While this option is probably not the most ideal from a club perspective, they have shown a propensity for letting their players wind down their contracts in recent years. A look at Naby Keita, James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Thiago and Joel Matip will show it's more than a trend.

However, outside of Firmino, none of those players have had the impact at Liverpool that Salah has. Yet, it would give incoming coach Arne Slot an established superstar to build around as he becomes acclimated at the club.

The club would get another season of high-end production and it would keep them firmly in title contention. Then Salah would be free to follow his own path once the deal expires.

This might not be the most financially profitable route for the club, but they get to keep their star for one more season before rewarding him with the freedom to choose his next career path.

Option 2: Salah receives a contract extension

I believe any extension offered to Salah this summer will be a small 1 or 2 year offer. With Salah turning 32 in June, there is no possibility of a long-term extension.

Giving him a 2-year extension for example, could prove to be an astute move. This would again offer more stability as the club makes the transition into the post-Klopp era.

He could be seen as the bridge between eras with him eventually ceding the mantle to one of his counterparts at the club in a few years time. For a club that values stability and routine, this might be the best option to take.

From the players perspective, he might be willing to do this if there is some incentives put into the new deal to increase his financial compensation.

Salah is still the best player at the club and is currently paid that way, however, he might be looking for one more pay bump so Michael Edwards would have to work something out to get this sort of extension across the line.

Option 3: This is all a smokescreen and the club sells Salah this summer

While the reports say that neither club nor player have indicated a desire for a divorce, that does not mean they don't exist internally.

The summer transfer window is a slow and long slog. While Liverpool only had to deal with interest from abroad in Salah as the window was wrapping up last summer, this time around there will be heavy interest from Day 1.

That is a long time to sit and stare at the sure to be eye-watering numbers that might be thrown around. If you are Salah, you could also look around in the summer and perhaps decide that a change would be good.

Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable with how Slot intends to play, or he is offered the moon to go to the Saudi Pro League.

Verdict:

Whatever it is, there is a reality in which it makes too much sense for the club and player to part ways after a glorious tenure together. However, his importance remains high and the club still needs him.

Projecting ahead, I still see Salah being sold this summer as the least likely to happen. The most likely outcome is he leaves on a free next summer. However, it'll be a tale full of many twists and turns before that I'm sure.