Mohamed Salah contract woes linked with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe transfer raid

Liverpool are entering some difficult territory amid Mohamed Salah’s contract negotiations. Paris Saint-Germain will only have one man in mind to replace Kylian Mbappe should he go on to complete a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer.

Salah will feel that he holds all the cards during contract talks with Liverpool – largely down to other forces at hand. The Egypt international is demanding to be the best-paid player in the Premier League amid a sensational season.

If the 29-year-old gets his wish, that would see him earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo who is on £500,000-a-week. That would blow Liverpool’s wage structure out of the water while the forward currently takes home £200,000-a-week.

Reds fans are desperate for the club to give into Salah’s requests – who has been arguably the best player in the world this season. The former AS Roma star has scored 28 and assisted 10 in 36 games in all competitions.

But Liverpool have said no and all talks have been shelved until the summer – but time is quickly running out on when to make a decision. Either way will have consequences for the Anfield outfit, either on the pitch or financially.

One club that will be monitoring proceedings will no doubt be Paris Saint-Germain – who have long courted the Egyptian. Their own transfer woes will only push them further into a potential move this summer.

Salah will enter the final 12 months of his contract and Liverpool will not want to lose him for free when they could land a huge fee for his services. PSG found themselves in a similar position last year, but decided to go a different way.

Mbappe was the centre of a transfer saga last summer when Real Madrid offered up to £180million for the Frenchman. The Ligue 1 giants refused, insisting that they could persuade the World Cup winner to elongate his future at the Parc des Princes.

That has not happened, though, and Los Blancos appear to be closing in on what could be one of the most lucrative free transfers of all time. Do PSG regret turning down that kind of money now with their star man on the verge of leaving for nothing?

If Mbappe does depart – and it is looking likelier by the day – then there is no doubt that the French club will have to dip into the transfer market for a suitable replacement. What wide forwards are on the market that can score a ton of goals and perform in the Champions League? Salah and his agent will certainly know.

Jurgen Klopp has begged for the striker to stay at Anfield but he knows that he might have no say. There are larger powers at play – including the Qatari royal family – and this staring contest between Salah and Liverpool is leaning towards the player more and more as his contract dwindles down.

The Reds will be unable to resist a large bid for their star man should one come this summer while PSG will always chase the glitziest prize on offer. After achieving so much at Liverpool, there can be no begrudging Salah for wanting a bigger slice of the pie.