MO MONEY, MO PROBLEMS?
Short of Everton being docked 20 points and their new Bramley Moore Dock sinking to the bottom of the Mersey without trace overnight, it’s difficult to imagine any news putting more of a spring in the step of Liverpool fans than the announcement that Mohamed Salah’s new contract until 2027. The Egyptian is one of three Liverpool stalwarts who were due to become free agents at the end of this season but is almost certainly the one whose replica shirt fans were least likely to set fire to in performative Instachat videos. While the nitty-gritty of the 32-year-old’s new deal have not been disclosed, he has not taken a pay cut from his basic £350,000 weekly stipend, although it is believed he earns nearer £1m per week when various side-projects such as image rights, sponsorship deals and a window-cleaning round are taken into account.
“So I’m happy to sign a new contract,” declared Liverpool’s Egyptian king, as photos of him beaming on a baroque throne placed on the pitch at Anfield were released to coincide with Friday morning’s announcement. “We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football. I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.” Having scored 243 goals and provided 111 assists from 394 games for Liverpool since joining in 2017, Salah’s importance cannot be overstated, although given his age, it should be noted that Liverpool are taking something of a gamble on the player’s projected future glories rather than further remunerating him for any achieved in the past.
“I’m part of the process but I don’t deserve the compliments,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot, before going on to thank more people than an Oscar-winning actor for their effort in getting the deal over the line. “Effort mostly means money but not only money,” he added, saying the quiet part out loud. With Salah’s services secured for another two seasons and Trent Alexander-Arnold looking almost certain to, erm, “betray” fans by honouring his contract before taking a better paid job at a more prestigious firm, the focus is now on club captain Virgil van Dijk. Another thirtysomething whose recent uncharacteristic blunders have not been doing his Mr 15% any favours when it comes to talking turkey around the negotiating table, the Dutchman has made it clear he wants to stay at Anfield, but only if certain conditions are met by the club – and its props department. To paraphrase that famous quote from Jaws: “We’re going to need a bigger baroque throne.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I’m sure they’re regretting that now. My favourite was the sparring. Initially, I started taekwondo for self-defence. That also really contributed to football, just with power, discipline and attitude. The type of training I did was absolutely brutal. I remember times when I was crying in pain, just from all the work I was doing, but it paid off” – Liverpool’s Olivia Smith tells Tom Garry about being bullied at school and how learning martial arts helped her deal with the physical demands of football.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Ange Postecoglou: from ‘I don’t usually win things in my second year, I always win things in my second year’ to ‘I’m resigned to the fact that the football Gods have got their eyes elsewhere this year – they’re obviously busy with other clubs and other managers’ in just six months. I’m trying to think of a word to describe Tottenham Hotspur being so up and down but nothing comes to mind” – Noble Francis.
If Big Sir Jim wants to make United great, he could start by manufacturing red ‘Make United Great’ hats to their fans. To save on costs – and for clarity – all he needs to do is put Make United Great’s initials on them” – Jon Harris.
If Rob Ford has supported ‘La Real’ for so many years, then he must be thrilled by the success of the Basque country teams’s former players in England such as Alexander Isak and Mikel Merino. Unless he actually supports El Madrid” – George Feldman (and 1,056 others).
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Noble Francis, who wins a copy of Groundhopper, by Pitch Publishing. Visit their bookshop here. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.
SHAQ’S THE WAY TO DO IT
This is a Salah-heavy Football Daily, make no mistake. We will stop at nothing to shoehorn any Mo-related news into this missive and think we have found our most tenuous link to date. The Egyptian got his break in European football at Basel in 2012, replacing Xherdan Shaqiri, who had just departed for Bayern Munich. And now, after a wide-ranging and largely successful career with the German giants, Internazionale, Stoke, Liverpool, Chicago Fire (with whom he had a claim to being the worst-value signing in MLS history), Big Shaq has returned home to Basel, where the 33-year-old has been on absolutely flames this season: in 27 Swiss Super League games, Shaqiri tops the division’s assist charts (by five) with 14 and is also third in the scoring charts with 11 goals. That is either an endorsement of Shaqiri’s enduring class or a sign that the Swiss Super League ain’t what is used to be. Either way, should Salah’s next two years at Liverpool go unexpectedly terribly, it’s safe to say that there will probably still be a safe landing pad for the Egyptian back at Basel in what would be a very pleasing bit of symmetry.
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