Mohamed Salah is arguably the in-form forward of European football. He has scored nine goals and returned three assists in nine games so far this campaign.
He was vital in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City, first assisting Sadio Mane’s opener and then scoring a wonder goal of his own.
This comes as the Egyptian has entered the final two years of his contract, with rumours Salah is demanding a reported wage of between £300,000-£380,000 which would shatter Liverpool and FSG’s wage structure.
Such a contract could make him the club's highest earner by at least £80,000, over teammate Virgil van Dijk, and mean that Liverpool would be paying the striker over £15million a year as he reaches the twilight of his career.
Ex-Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher thinks it should not be a question, and Salah’s contract should be extended whatever the price.
He told Sky Sports: "When’s he ever not been on fire, this guy, he’s an absolute superstar right now you could argue he’s the best player in the Premier League right now with the form he’s actually in.
"He’s been electric, at times last season he was almost let down if you like by the rest of that famous front three but he’s never, ever dropped those standards.
"At this moment in the situation when he’s got less than two years left on his contract it’s just unthinkable he won’t be playing for Liverpool in the next 18 months.”
Whilst some strikers, like Robert Lewandowski or Cristiano Ronaldo, have proven that they can deliver on the highest stages despite their age, there is no guarantee Salah will do so.
Just ask Manchester United.
The Guardian reported that Alexis Sanchez was on a £391,000 a week wage, with an extra £75,000 for every game he played and an annual £1.1m signing-on fee.
United were stuck paying this for years as they were unable to shift Sanchez until last year after his drastic loss of form upon arriving from Arsenal.
Indeed, the risks to bowing to Salah's contract demands are undeniable.
Owners FSG have a policy of selling or letting go of older players as they get towards the end of the years they are still profitable at.
This policy led to hiccups in Jordan Henderson’s contract renewal, and to Georginio Wijnaldum leaving for free as the club refused to meet his wage demands.
But it is a policy that makes sense.
It ensures the core of the team is rejuvenated around a younger central group of players who maintain their world-class talent.
And it offers value for such high-cost contracts, as five years down the line players like Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who both signed new deals recently, will still be performing on the top level.
The risk is a 34-year-old Salah will not.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are obvious exceptions to this rule, like they are exceptions to every rule.
And Allison is a poor example as the physical demands on goalkeepers allow them to stay at the top far longer, far more frequently.
Not to mention that if Salah suddenly starts earning at least £80,000 more than everyone else, what will this do to dressing room morale?
Salah is currently one of the best strikers in the world, but FSG’s question is not whether he will be performing at his peak now, it is whether he will be doing so in four or five years.
