Southampton 2-3 Liverpool: How can Reds allow superstar Mohamed Salah to leave?

Liverpool supporters are adopting Mohamed Salah's signature goal celebration to express their desire for 'The Egyptian King' to remain at Anfield.

The banner proudly proclaims, "He Shoots An Arrow. Now Hand Mo His Cash!" It's been making the rounds lately, especially after the 32-year-old put in another game-winning performance in the 3-2 win against Southampton. More banners like this could be on the horizon.

Liverpool faced tough challenges from their rivals and battled through a fierce storm on the south coast. They were trailing 2-1 when Salah scored two goals, ultimately securing a win that puts them eight points ahead in the Premier League standings.

The first was a typical Salah moment; just his presence seemed to unsettle Southampton's goalkeeper, Alex McCarthy. McCarthy made an unwise decision to rush off his line, allowing Liverpool's striker to seize the opportunity.

Salah scored the winning goal from the penalty spot. This time, he didn't celebrate by shooting an imaginary bow; instead, he bravely took off his shirt despite the terrible weather conditions.

The contracts of Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold have created a continuous storyline during head coach Arne Slot's debut season. This narrative took an interesting turn when Salah unexpectedly mentioned after the victory against Manchester United that this could be his final season with Liverpool.

Salah's strong statement after his outstanding performance at St. Mary's, where he mentioned that he hasn't received a contract offer and feels "more out than in" regarding his future, will only heighten the pressure on the decision-makers at Anfield to resolve any lingering uncertainties.

Following his recent achievements, a straightforward question now arises for the owners of Liverpool, the Fenway Sports Group.

How can they let a situation arise where an exceptional, transformative, and consistently outstanding player can leave without any compensation at the end of the season?

Naturally, the biggest mystery—at least for the public—centers around what Salah will ask for to continue with the team. Given that he could secure a significant signing bonus if he were to leave on a free transfer, it raises questions about how this aligns with FSG's well-advertised 'Moneyball' approach, which typically avoids offering lengthy, costly contracts to players who are in their 30s.

The discussions will be sensitive, but a key point to consider is that Salah, even at 32, remains at the top of his game and is in incredible shape, as he demonstrated when he removed his black Liverpool shirt after netting the winning goal.

This isn't a once-great athlete who's past their prime. Instead, it's a player in outstanding shape, full of motivation and ambition, performing as if they're at the height of their career.

Salah's future needs to be a priority for the owners. His performance in challenging situations clearly highlighted how valuable he is to Liverpool.

There's an increasing buzz among Liverpool fans to finalize this deal, especially since they watch Salah week after week, as he seems to be on a personal quest to lead the team to another Premier League title.

Salah is thoughtful about what he says, aware that each word matters and has importance. However, his incredible performances and consistent high-level play, guiding Liverpool toward a solid chance of winning the title in Slot's first season—something that seemed unlikely at the beginning of the year—speak volumes on their own.

FSG understands that the longer things remain unresolved, the more intense the external pressure and criticism will become.

Every match and every stat only adds to the mounting proof that Liverpool needs to reach an agreement with Salah.

Salah ranks fifth on Liverpool's all-time scoring chart across all competitions, having netted 223 goals in 367 matches. He is behind Ian Rush (346 goals), Roger Hunt (285 goals), Gordon Hodgson (241 goals), and Billy Liddell (228 goals).

It's hard to imagine that Salah won't be in the top three by the end of the season.

He ranks fifth in the league's all-time scoring chart, having netted 165 goals in 262 matches. At the top of the list is Hunt with 244 goals, followed by Hodgson with 233, Rush with 229, and Liddell with 215.

In this particular season, Salah has played a key role in 16 out of Liverpool's 24 goals in the Premier League, which makes up 67% of their scoring. Across all competitions, he has notched up 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 18 matches. This translates to being directly involved in a goal approximately every 65 minutes, marking his best performance for Liverpool to date.

Salah's penalty that secured the victory marked his 100th goal scored away from home while playing for Liverpool.

He is truly one of a kind. Just think about where Liverpool would stand without him. If he were to depart, how much would it take to find someone with even a fraction of his talent?

What Salah contributes to Liverpool goes beyond mere financial value. While the team has other top-tier, even elite players, it is Salah who is truly making an impact.

He salvaged a lackluster performance from Liverpool in terrible weather, initially by being a threat on the attack and later by expertly converting a penalty.

The owners of Liverpool will undoubtedly be just as eager to retain Salah as the fans in the stands who are waving banners in support of him.

They need to come to a mutually acceptable price for an asset that delivers exceptional results, especially as Liverpool grows more confident in their pursuit of a title that was initially seen as a long shot when Slot first joined.