Topic: Mohamed Salah - Best in the World *

[-Willo-]

Isn't he already on £250k a week? At that point how much money do you actually want? His family is basically set for life, his kids and grandkids will never go wanting for anything so what is the point of demanding £400k a week (in theory, I have no idea what he has asked for) if we've offered £300k a week? Surely it can't just be down to a pissing contest about who earns what?

And the fact that Liverpool fans of all people are advocating for this behaviour is mental

I reckon for footballers and really rich people in general, once they hit a large sum, say £100k a week as a random figure, its less about the money and more about the position it puts them in the hierarchy.

And again, and again, this is the problem.

You're obsessed with taking that stance. If Mo has asked for a slight wage increase and we've told him to do one, then sure. If he's asked for £600k a week, you're going to blame the owners if he goes? You have absolutely fuck all idea what his position is and what our position is. So how on earth can you take a position that the owners are 'undefendable' if he decides to leave? It was the same when we 'forced Wijnaldum out' and he was forced to take £300k a week at PSG after reneging on his deal to join Barca. The poor little lamb.

And we have paid the market rate for the best players in the world. We've paid it for the best GK in the world, the best RB in the world, the best CB in the world, the best LB in the world and the best DM in the world. Its the most important contract of the lot, its probably why its taking longer and I'm still pretty confident he'll stay. But yours and others position just shows your wider desire to make it a more toxic atmosphere(I suspect also the underlying desire to be taken over by a mega rich owner who will lob billions at us but its something you'll never admit). Your immediate reaction is essentially 'fucking John Henry' which is really no better than twitter virgins.

Its reported he's asking for £400k a week though not £600k, and £400k is seemingly the standard for the worlds best now.

I didn't have this stance on Gini, or Emre Can years before because I don't think they were as valuable as Mo.

[El Lobo]

No footballer is worth £2 million a month. I'm sorry. That's a mentality that's destroying football. The market rate has been completely distorted by a couple of clubs with limitless resources - and a few fools who are trying to keep up.

Mo is the best footballer in the world at the minute and seems a great lad, no question - but the same heads that are saying pay him what he wants are also in the transfer forum screaming to pay whatever it takes to get whichever flavour of the month liked an instagram post yesterday.

Barcelona are the case in point here. They paid Messi a million a week - everyone else in the squad accepts they aren't Messi but suddenly they think that's the market rate so I must be worth 500k a week or half a Messi. It's absolutely stupid.  Who's going to tell Virg, or Trent, or Mane they aren't worth half a Mo.

It's not my money - but I can remember the things we said after the campaign to get rid of H&G - we just wanted the chance to be a viable business with a bit of savvy in the upper echelons of the club. And look at us now - best manager in the world, best player in the world, kept a squad together for the first time since the 80s, a helluva ride for 7 years now. And all done with feet firmly in some kind of reality.

I can accept that for the best player in the world that reality has shifted a bit. But we aren't being scabby if we say we can't spend it. 

Mo says he wants to retire here - I hope so, and I hope to fuck he stays - but not at the cost of upsetting everything. It's not just 'up to the club' - he's not a passive partner in this. Personal happiness, or collecting capital - make the choice, you're set for life either way.  Sometimes you can't have both and you don't get to say you're the victim.

Probably sounds a bit ranty - not aimed at anyone, not even aimed at Mo to be honest, I love him - but man, football is depressing. All we do is sit around talking about is money these days.   

I'm sure you'll get a pretty quick response from a few saying thats never guaranteed.

Incidentally, Barca currently have the likes of Pigue, Busquets, Alba and Dembele on about £250k a week or more......

[Ghost Town]

That's not guaranteed. Does every player in Messi's team have to have the same wages?

Goalkeepers are not paid the same as world class forwards, not even Donnarumma at PSG.

Once again, I hate getting into this tedious Salah wages debate (none of us know a thing so everything is just pointless speculation) but hypothertically what Rob was referring to wouldn't be a case of Virgil and Ali asking for the same as Salah's hypothetical new 'best in the world' wage, it'd be a case of their agents asking for more than they are currently on. Ditto other players' agents, and ditto the agents of every new player we try to sign henceforward. Those who might have been happy with £Xpw would then ask for £x+pw.

It's what happened with Messi, for example. Sure, no other players' agents asked to match his wages but you can bet they all asked for an increase on the existing amounts. Agents never miss a trick, nor a chance to line their own pockets with improved deals.

Add up all those individual 'more' amounts and it'll be a fair wedge.
There would thus be a knock-on effect, almost certainly. And that would have to be factored in.

Though again, it's all speculation

So you don't think billionaire owners John Henry and Co cannot afford to give Salah 400k a week?

I mean are you just willfully pretending you don't understand why this is bollocks? (quite apart from the double negative construction).

If we must debate all this speculative wages shite,  we should at least stick to the situation as it is , whether we approve of it or not, which is that Henry, personally, and the ownership group, play no direct part in funding player wages,  rather than what you might ideally want it to be in your dreams (a billionaire sugar daddy chucking his own money in)...

[El Lobo]

Its reported he's asking for £400k a week though not £600k, and £400k is seemingly the standard for the worlds best now.

I didn't have this stance on Gini, or Emre Can years before because I don't think they were as valuable as Mo.

What's Lewandowski on?

[Chip Evans]

Incidentally, Barca currently have the likes of Pigue, Busquets, Alba and Dembele on about £250k a week or more......

Ludicrous.

[Ghost Town]

Its a bit like saying I'm happy staying in my marriage as long as the missus lets me have it away with her sister every now and then.

Out of interest how did that work out for you? I mean you're still alive...

Asking for a friend...

[lionel_messias]

If he wants to stay, he'll stay. Its literally as simple as that. As with Wijnaldum.

If its 'I want to stay but need to earn an even more eye watering amount than I already do if I'm going to' then I think you need to asterisk it. Its a bit like saying I'm happy staying in my marriage as long as the missus lets me have it away with her sister every now and then.

You're using a kind of moralistic, emotional type argument and I get that. BUT (and its a big old butt) football is kind of a branch of Showbusiness, where if you improve your standing, and you are playing in a global pool, with millions of people watching you, then you can ask for a greater contract.

That's the way of the world. Does he need the money? Does Tom Cruise need the money? Of course not.

You can replace anybody, you can completely rebuild the squad and we're still here, supporting the club that we love. But right here, right now, does this club want to have the best player around, at the peak of his game wearing our kit, scoring for us?

That's what it comes down to. Yes, we can buy more players, tell me chances Jurgen Klopp turns them into top 3 in the World players in the 2 years remaining??

Tell me also how Klopp will view his contract running down, having said goodbye to Mo Salah, who wanted to stay.



Club intention. Squad belief. The mood of our boss. Further recruitment. The best player in our attack.


Get the fucking deal done, don't tell me wage structures.

[El Lobo]

You're using a kind of moralistic, emotional type argument and I get that. BUT (and its a big old butt) football is kind of a branch of Showbusiness, where if you improve your standing, and you are playing in a global pool, with millions of people watching you, then you can ask for a greater contract.

That's the way of the world. Does he need the money? Does Tom Cruise need the money? Of course not.

You can replace anybody, you can completely rebuild the squad and we're still here, supporting the club that we love. But right here, right now, does this club want to have the best player around, at the peak of his game wearing our kit, scoring for us?

That's what it comes down to. Yes, we can buy more players, tell me chances Jurgen Klopp turns them into top 3 in the World players in the 2 years remaining??

Tell me also how Klopp will view his contract running down, having said goodbye to Mo Salah, who wanted to stay.

Club intention. Squad belief. The mood of our boss. Further recruitment. The best player in our attack.

Get the fucking deal done, don't tell me wage structures.

Honestly, in the nicest way possible, what you want (in this and other areas) isn't how our owners work and you'd do well to be more honest about what the sort of owner you'd like. Because in this, and in how you talk about transfers, everything screams wanting owners like Man City or Newcastles.

The crux of it is pretty simple. As a club, we can't afford to have the best player in the world and pay him a wage that shows he's the best player in the world. Particularly if that player is nearly 30 and unlikely to still be the best player in the world for the duration of any new contract. What none of us really know is how much he's actually asking for. If you google it you get 3 or 4 pretty wildly different amounts. If he's on £200k odd a week and he's asking for less than £300k (as one of the articles suggests) then I'd be pretty annoyed if we didn't match it. If he's asking for closer to £500k a week (as another article says), its a different conversation.

[Sharado]

As much as I want to agree, if you aren’t being paid what you’re worth, whether your a postie or a CEO, you’re more than entitled to ask your employers to pay up or you’ll move on.

Yep.

[lionel_messias]

Honestly, in the nicest way possible, what you want (in this and other areas) isn't how our owners work and you'd do well to be more honest about what the sort of owner you'd like. Because in this, and in how you talk about transfers, everything screams wanting owners like Man City or Newcastles.

The crux of it is pretty simple. As a club, we can't afford to have the best player in the world and pay him a wage that shows he's the best player in the world. Particularly if that player is nearly 30 and unlikely to still be the best player in the world for the duration of any new contract. What none of us really know is how much he's actually asking for. If you google it you get 3 or 4 pretty wildly different amounts. If he's on £200k odd a week and he's asking for less than £300k (as one of the articles suggests) then I'd be pretty annoyed if we didn't match it. If he's asking for closer to £500k a week (as another article says), its a different conversation.

Nicest way possible is a given as we are all Liverpool fans trying to consider these ideas. However, don't assume what I want. You are hinting this is only a binary situation; the FSG model and a Big old Sovereign Wealth Fund from China or the Middle East. There must be a middle way.

And on transfers, I have talked about a net investment of £50-70 million this summer. That would be on top of prudent sales. One of those could be Sadio Mané, to be replaced by a younger forward on less wages.

I just think business models can flex sometimes. The assumption with Salah is also exceptional fitness at 29, 30, 31, 32 and probably beyond.

I'll say it again: I don't want owners like City or Newcastle. I want owners who flex and make the realisation Klopp is something very special in the world of football, better to maximise what he can achieve in 2 years, so that Liverpool retain our position over 5-10 years.

[ScottScott]

Nicest way possible is a given as we are all Liverpool fans trying to consider these ideas. However, don't assume what I want. You are hinting this is only a binary situation; the FSG model and a Big old Sovereign Wealth Fund from China or the Middle East. There must be a middle way.

And on transfers, I have talked about a net investment of £50-70 million this summer. That would be on top of prudent sales. One of those could be Sadio Mané, to be replaced by a younger forward on less wages.

I just think business models can flex sometimes. The assumption with Salah is also exceptional fitness at 29, 30, 31, 32 and probably beyond.

I'll say it again: I don't want owners like City or Newcastle. I want owners who flex and make the realisation Klopp is something very special in the world of football, better to maximise what he can achieve in 2 years, so that Liverpool retain our position over 5-10 years.

There isn't. The way I see it there's 3 types of football clubs/ownerships

1. Self-sustainable. Spend every penny you earn from commercial, matchday and transfers
2. Benevolent owner who has so much money they don't care how much anything costs and will always pump money into the club (basically state ownership)
3. Happy to operate at massive levels of debt

[Sheer Magnetism]

Its not one player though is it? We double Mo's wages, then Ali's agent is banging on the door - he's the best keeper in the world, he savesx  amount of points in a season with his saves, we want the wages. Then Trents agent is in, Trent provides more assists than any player in the league, etc etc etc

We are not City or PSG, we can't just lash hundreds of millions at players like they can

I hate to bring a dose of realism into this discussion but why would Alisson and Trent's agents be 'banging on the door' when they've both signed new contracts in the last six months?

[El Lobo]

I hate to bring a dose of realism into this discussion but why would Alisson and Trent's agents be 'banging on the door' when they've both signed new contracts in the last six months?

....because they're football agents?

[number 168]

As much as I want to agree, if you aren’t being paid what you’re worth, whether your a postie or a CEO, you’re more than entitled to ask your employers to pay up or you’ll move on.

Fair point but that assumes your employers agree and can actually pay you what you think you are worth. At stratospheric levels of salary I wonder where happiness, contentment and family life play a part? If you are being paid ridiculous amounts of cash to play footie or any fabulous job wouldn't other life choices and well being play a part? Look at Messi and Gini these days.

[Jayo10]

Knew it wouldn't take long for people to start questioning "Just how much money does Salah need", and the like.

The worlds best demand the very top wages. Its why the likes of Real Madrid, Man City (state funded) et al will challenge for major trophies. Because they pay the top dollar wages for those deserving of them (and quite a few who are undeserving).

We will look for every excuse, and was waiting to see how long it would be before Salah will no doubt be called a mercenary. He has been unbelievable for us, and good luck to him. There will be other clubs who will pay him what he is worth, whilst we will roll the dice and try and find the next superstar to take us on the crest of a wave, but only until he starts looking for parity with the best players in the world relative to his performances.

The question we should be asking ourselves, are we a big club? Do we aspire to be a really big club challenging for multiple honours. If the answer is yes we should be paying him accordingly. And not sacrificing future spending in by doing so either. Let the suits explore new revenue streams etc.. in order to fund it.

FSG have been fantastic in improving revenue streams, infrastructure etc.. but we have not seen the benefit of it in terms of transfer spend. Instead we are congratulating them for contract renewals of the spine of the team, when this is par for the course for most clubs, but I guess we have been pillaged for our best players in the past and holding onto them is a huge achievement now.

[El Lobo]

Bruno wants to be paid as much as De Gea and Ronaldo

Stolen from the 'lets all laugh at United' thread.

This is football. Again not to say that we shouldn't try our absolute best to keep Mo, but this is the whole issue of smashing your wage structure for one player. In 18 months time, maybe Mo drops off a little and he's not our best player anymore. Maybe Jota is. What then, why shouldn't he ask for the 'best player in the world' wages that Mo is on? Why not Trent or Alisson? Maybe Harvey Elliott or Curtis Jones by then?

Your wages naturally move towards your highest paid, at any level. Its what quite a few seem to be missing with the 'just pay him what he wants' mantra.

[rob1966]

Out of interest how did that work out for you? I mean you're still alive...

Asking for a friend...

I once jokingly asked could I have an affair with her sister, I almost ended up out on my ear

[rob1966]

I hate to bring a dose of realism into this discussion but why would Alisson and Trent's agents be 'banging on the door' when they've both signed new contracts in the last six months?

Because they will say "you stiffed our client by giving them the contracts first, knowing what you would do with Mo, that's underhand" or some such shit. Next words will be,."I want my player on a higher salary and backdated or he'll be moving on"

[El Lobo]

Risky with a Manc though isn't it, you could be asking for an affair with her mum/nan/brother at the same time.

[rob1966]

Risky with a Manc though isn't it, you could be asking for an affair with her mum/nan/brother at the same time.

[stewy17]

Because they will say "you stiffed our client by giving them the contracts first, knowing what you would do with Mo, that's underhand" or some such shit. Next words will be,."I want my player on a higher salary and backdated or he'll be moving on"

They'd have to be from the Harry Kane's brother school of agents if they thought that would be even a remotely successful approach to negotiation. I'd guess the club would laugh them out the door and remind them that they have a signed contract and see you in 3-4 years when that's winding down.

Allison has signed two very long-term contracts with us now with the minimum of fuss so I don't think he's the type of lad (nor are his reps) to start jumping if/when Mo gets Mo Salah level wages.  As for Trent, I'm sure his latest deal was the best we've ever given a lad of his age and he's hopefully going to be in his prime by the time his renewal comes up so that's when he will hopefully be able to throw his weight about as club captain and 3 x league and CL winner.

The rest of them don't have a leg to stand on in comparison to Salah.

What everyone seems to have missed here re: Salah is that we already have one of the biggest wage bills in world football. Salah's new salary is not going to push us into that top bracket and nor is it going to send us under or make us like Barcelona under Messi. It's competitive but well-controlled and long may that continue.

[tubby]

I think there's merit in the Barca comparison, if you have someone on crazy wages like Messi was, then when you bring in younger players, their starting wage will be higher than it would usually be and it'll snowball from there.

De Jong is on something ridiculous like £350k a week and that's because the highest wage at that club was so much higher when he signed.

[Suareznumber7]

The question we should be asking ourselves, are we a big club? Do we aspire to be a really big club challenging for multiple honours. If the answer is yes we should be paying him accordingly. And not sacrificing future spending in by doing so either. Let the suits explore new revenue streams etc.. in order to fund it.

That's not the question we should be asking ourselves at all.  We should be asking whether or not having Mo on massive wages is worth having to sacrifice in other areas of the club.

We have a finite amount of money to spend on transfer/wages/etc.  If we give Mo huge wages then we have to sacrifice somewhere else.  You can't just say, it's up to the suits to find more money.  The real world doesn't work like that and we simply don't have unlimited funds so tough decisions have to be made.  In this situation, the club probably have a max that they are willing to pay Mo so that we can keep our squad at a level that's good enough and continue to compete at the highest levels.  If that amount isn't enough for him then he'll move somewhere that has the unlimited funds to pay him. 
It's as simple as that.  We should not break the bank for any player, regardless of how good they are. 

[Chip Evans]

Knew it wouldn't take long for people to start questioning "Just how much money does Salah need", and the like.

The worlds best demand the very top wages. Its why the likes of Real Madrid, Man City (state funded) et al will challenge for major trophies. Because they pay the top dollar wages for those deserving of them (and quite a few who are undeserving).

We will look for every excuse, and was waiting to see how long it would be before Salah will no doubt be called a mercenary. He has been unbelievable for us, and good luck to him. There will be other clubs who will pay him what he is worth, whilst we will roll the dice and try and find the next superstar to take us on the crest of a wave, but only until he starts looking for parity with the best players in the world relative to his performances.

The question we should be asking ourselves, are we a big club? Do we aspire to be a really big club challenging for multiple honours. If the answer is yes we should be paying him accordingly. And not sacrificing future spending in by doing so either. Let the suits explore new revenue streams etc.. in order to fund it.

FSG have been fantastic in improving revenue streams, infrastructure etc.. but we have not seen the benefit of it in terms of transfer spend. Instead we are congratulating them for contract renewals of the spine of the team, when this is par for the course for most clubs, but I guess we have been pillaged for our best players in the past and holding onto them is a huge achievement now.

I hate the small club argument - it's boring.

Mo's not a mercenary unless he refuses to play for the club when fit and able. Nobody doubts his commitment and nobody has called him one. We're all just speculating.

As for whether we aspire to be a big club. We are already a MASSIVE club. One that makes so much money that, with a bit of brain power attached to weaponise it, have been able to build the best football team I've seen in my life and keep it together for multiple years. And then watch it win a fucking load of trophies - and leave 1 or 2 out there. All that against unbelievable financial doping. 

We're coming to a bit of a crossroads - one or two players are maybe reaching the end of the line in terms of age and durability - but luckily Mo has endured and developed to where he may be reaching a point that about 5 clubs on earth can afford what he is worth (if you accept what everyone is calling the market rate for his talent - and that that is the amount of money he's asking for). That doesn't mean we lack ambition or we are a small club.  We'll offer him what we can I reckon - not short change him.

We're doing fine either way, but I really hope he stays. 

[El Lobo]

They'd have to be from the Harry Kane's brother school of agents if they thought that would be even a remotely successful approach to negotiation. I'd guess the club would laugh them out the door and remind them that they have a signed contract and see you in 3-4 years when that's winding down.

Allison has signed two very long-term contracts with us now with the minimum of fuss so I don't think he's the type of lad (nor are his reps) to start jumping if/when Mo gets Mo Salah level wages.  As for Trent, I'm sure his latest deal was the best we've ever given a lad of his age and he's hopefully going to be in his prime by the time his renewal comes up so that's when he will hopefully be able to throw his weight about as club captain and 3 x league and CL winner.

The rest of them don't have a leg to stand on in comparison to Salah.

What everyone seems to have missed here re: Salah is that we already have one of the biggest wage bills in world football. Salah's new salary is not going to push us into that top bracket and nor is it going to send us under or make us like Barcelona under Messi. It's competitive but well-controlled and long may that continue.

Have we not had enough experience with football agents? Quite why people are talking about sensible negotiations is anyone's guess. Agents see their job as getting their client (and by extension, them) as much money as they can. Trent signed a new contract until 2025. Do you honestly think that his agent won't be looking to get him a big new one quite a long time before that?

[cdav]

Absolutely none of us know what he is currently on so we will be even less able to discuss what he wants/ what the club is offering.

I mean its reported he is currently on £200k per week but we know our contracts are heavily incentivised- so it will probably already be taking home more? Is he asking for £400k a week base plus bonuses, how about image rights, length of contract, etc? On the other side he is very marketable for the club- how much commercial revenue is because we have a player as recognisable as Mo?

Its a fine line the club have to thread- there always must be a cut off on what is the most efficient use of its resources. I still think eventually it will get done (before this summer) with a compromise from both sides

[Scottymuser]

What's Lewandowski on?

It's more difficult to track Bundesliga wages, but depending on the source, it's somewhere between 350 and 400k a week.  That was agreed in 2019, before he started his insance last 2 years of scoring.  So 3 years further on, Salah asking for comparable (400k) seems fair.  As some have mentioned - it's less about the money, and more about the team showing him that he is valued similarly to other top 10 players (all the top 10 best paid players in the world are on at least 400k a week currently) - whilst 300k is still a lot, you could argue it shows that we value him siilar to Gini at PSG, who is on 300k, and less than Lukaku who is on 325k at Chelsea.   

[El Lobo]

It's more difficult to track Bundesliga wages, but depending on the source, it's somewhere between 350 and 400k a week.  That was agreed in 2019, before he started his insance last 2 years of scoring.  So 3 years further on, Salah asking for comparable (400k) seems fair.  As some have mentioned - it's less about the money, and more about the team showing him that he is valued similarly to other top 10 players (all the top 10 best paid players in the world are on at least 400k a week currently) - whilst 300k is still a lot, you could argue it shows that we value him siilar to Gini at PSG, who is on 300k, and less than Lukaku who is on 325k at Chelsea.

If you argue that, all it does is demonstrate a shocking lack of understanding.

Who are the ten best paid players in the world, out of interest? And what are they paid?

[rob1966]

It's more difficult to track Bundesliga wages, but depending on the source, it's somewhere between 350 and 400k a week.  That was agreed in 2019, before he started his insance last 2 years of scoring.  So 3 years further on, Salah asking for comparable (400k) seems fair.  As some have mentioned - it's less about the money, and more about the team showing him that he is valued similarly to other top 10 players (all the top 10 best paid players in the world are on at least 400k a week currently) - whilst 300k is still a lot, you could argue it shows that we value him siilar to Gini at PSG, who is on 300k, and less than Lukaku who is on 325k at Chelsea.   

One club funded by an Oil state, one club funded by an oil multi billionaire

[daggerdoo]

I don't get that at all. We would be offering whatever amount because that's what we realistically can afford, not because we don't value him as much as other players, is that hard for people to understand.

[Simplexity]

Footballers are worth what someone is willing to pay them. Dont understand this whole bubble talk, or that no footballer should earn X amount a month. There are countless people earning far more money doing far less.

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

There are countless people earning far more money doing far less.

I very much doubt it

[Dench57]

I very much doubt it

feels a bit like you're gonna be fuming if we do end up signing him on 400k a week

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

feels a bit like you're gonna be fuming if we do end up signing him on 400k a week

In two minds about this.

Yea it'll be good if we sign him, but I'll be disgusted if we pay him more than 300k (even that's outrageous and should never happen.)

[Henry Gale]

In two minds about this.

Yea it'll be good if we sign him, but I'll be disgusted if we pay him more than 300k (even that's outrageous and should never happen.)

Why not?

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Why not?

300k a week, 15 million a year 

you think this is acceptable, for any sportsperson of any team?

[Henry Gale]

300k a week, 15 million a year 

you think this is acceptable, for any sportsperson of any team?

Well football clubs generate hundred's of million every year so if a large chunk of that doesn't go to the players where should it go?

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Well football clubs generate hundred's of million every year so if a large chunk of that doesn't go to the players where should it go?

a reduction in ticket prices, local community projects etc

[Henry Gale]

a reduction in ticket prices, local community projects etc

Well ticket prices are set by FSG so you could ask them.....But considering their history on the subject I think I know how that conversation would go.

Who else are taking cuts on their wages? F1 drivers who earn millions? Boxers? What about musicians? actors etc who earn millions are they losing some of their wages to pay for local community projects?

Is it OK for them to earn that kind of money or is it just footballers who are not allowed? 

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Who else are taking cuts on their wages? F1 drivers who earn millions? Boxers? What about musicians? actors etc who earn millions are they losing some of their wages to pay for local community projects?

Is it OK for them to earn that kind of money or is it just footballers who are not allowed?

Applies to the lot of them, and loads of others in "more conventional" employment