Mohamed Salah's new deal promises exciting era at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah has a point to prove. So does Jurgen Klopp. The Egyptian’s three-year contract extension at Anfield gives both men a significantly better chance of hitting their targets next season.

In May, Liverpool emerged from a remarkable campaign after enduring a disappointing climax to the season. Despite winning both domestic cups, they were unable to catch Manchester City in the Premier League title race and lost the Champions League final 1-0 to Real Madrid on a fraught night in Paris.

After that defeat, Jurgen Klopp radiated defiance and ambition. The German told fans to book their hotels in Istanbul, the site of European football’s showpiece game in 2023. It was a bold statement of intent.

The Liverpool manager has many strengths but among his greatest attributes is his ability to inspire belief in players and supporters. The question that hung over Anfield was how the uncertainty over Salah’s future would affect the mood at the club. That doubt has been swept away with the 30-year-old’s new deal.

The headline numbers about Salah’s pay rise are eye-watering: £400,000 per week makes him the biggest earner in the Premier League. This figure is a little misleading. The basic salary is nearer £300,000 and the contract is heavy with incentives. To maximise his earning power, Salah needs to score plenty of goals and win the biggest trophies. That is exactly what Klopp wants.

Last season the forward hit the back of the net 31 times but there was a perception that he did not recapture his best form after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in February. Those suggestions stung, as did Salah’s failure to score in three finals. Paris was particularly disappointing, although Thibaut Courtois’s man-of-the-match