In a troubled few weeks for Liverpool it was, perhaps, the most concerning image of all.

The sight of Jurgen Klopp, one of Anfield’s greatest managers, involved in a touchline row with Mohamed Salah, one of the club’s best players of the modern era, at West Ham on Saturday was at best unseemly and, at worst, raised serious questions.

With Klopp’s departure at the end of the season pre-ordained, those queries centred on Salah — his relations with the manager and his staff, his wider state of mind as he battles against a slump in form and, most pertinently, his long-term future.

The Egyptian, who is Liverpool’s top earner at around £350,000 ($377,000) a week after the contract extension he signed in 2022, has one year remaining on his deal and there has been no progress over new terms, with the club’s focus falling on hiring Klopp’s successor — almost certainly Arne Slot.

68 extraordinary pictures that show just what Jurgen Klopp means to our city	Baggies to Barcelona: 10 standout moments of Klopp’s Liverpool reign	Liverpool confirm Slot as Klopp's successor

As The Athletic revealed on Monday, Liverpool expect Salah to stay this summer and are planning on him being part of their squad for next season.

But with his future back on the agenda, what are Liverpool’s options — and what makes most sense?

Option 1: Sell him now… at the right price

Liverpool may be expecting Salah to stay, but given owners Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) self-sustaining business model, there’s a case for cashing in on him this summer.

It’s not just that his form has been so patchy since returning to action from the hamstring injury he initially suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

It’s all about what’s best for the club going forward rather than what someone has previously delivered.

Michael Edwards, left, with Jurgen Klopp and FSG president Mike Gordon (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool turned down an offer of £100million, potentially rising to £150m with add-ons, for Salah from Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad last August.

Salah would also need to agree to leave now rather than next summer, when he would be able to command a much higher signing-on fee.

James Pearce

Option 2: A new contract at reduced terms

The difficulty for Liverpool is figuring out whether Salah’s slump in form is a blip that he will recover from after a summer of rest and recovery or if this is his new level.

Salah will play better than his current form — quality does not disappear in an instant — but his ability to win games for Liverpool single-handedly has diminished and more than ever he looks human; part of a team rather than the superhero.

With that in mind, the possibility of offering Salah a new deal on significantly reduced terms has to be one the club takes seriously.

Salah deservedly became the club’s highest earner when he signed his current contract in 2022.

There is also the option of converting him into a No 9 — a role he has appeared in on rare occasions under Klopp.

This could give him a new spark — but convincing a global superstar they are not worth their current salary will be a difficult sell.

Andy Jones

Option 3: Keep him another season and let him leave for free

Liverpool have shown in recent seasons that they are not afraid to allow players to leave for nothing at the end of their contract.

Thiago and Joel Matip are set to do so this season while Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita, Milner, Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana have all followed the same path.

Letting Salah walk away for nothing is different as the rest were never considered Liverpool’s best player, and their values had reduced to the point where any sale would have generated little funds.

The question often asked in these situations is whether keeping the player for one more year is more valuable than cashing in on him.

If the Saudi Pro League are unwilling to offer big money and would rather wait — with their expectation that Salah will remain at Liverpool next season — there may not be an offer made that Liverpool feel is acceptable.

It may help Slot to have the foremost of his striking options, even for only a season as part of the transition.

It would also offer him more control over his future as a free agent — he’d be free to talk to foreign clubs from January 2025 — as well as picking up a significant signing-on bonus.

Andy Jones

Option 4: Keep him — whatever the cost

There is a temptation to regard this season as some kind of failure for Salah and, on its worst days, even let it point to the start of fading powers.

The last month has helped to entrench the doubts yet, even with his injury problems and time spent away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah has scored 24 Liverpool goals.
For more news relating to West Ham, visit our sister site WHU Latest Live.