Former Chelsea striker, Tony Cascarino has warned Liverpool against making the ‘big mistake’ of breaking the bank to give Mohamed Salah ‘whatever it takes’ for him to remain at Anfield.
Cascarino wants Salah to learn the lessons of former Arsenal stars Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and ex-Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard all of whom were able to sign massive contracts but none ended up as key players at clubs that were consistently winning things.
Salah’s current contract expires in the summer of 2023 and the Egyptian is yet to agree on a fresh deal.
The Egypt international is in fine form for this season, scoring 22 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.
Cascarino said he does not think Liverpool should break their wage structure just to keep him.
“A lot of people in recent weeks have said that Liverpool should give Mohamed Salah whatever it takes to keep him. I think that would be a big mistake,’ Cascarino told The Times.
“A few years ago I took a detailed look at what Cristiano Ronaldo earned. He made €160 million (now £101 million) over the year, of which just €20 million came from Real Madrid, who were then highly successful in terms of winning trophies. Which tells you that in terms of maximizing your earnings, the key thing is to be at a big club that is capable of winning the big titles.
“So for Salah now there should be one overriding question: am I going to be successful on the pitch in the Premier League and the Champions League? And do I have a manager and a right back (and the rest of the team, of course) who can help me be successful on the pitch?
“So my advice to Salah would be to learn the lessons of these four players: Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, Eden Hazard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. All were able to sign massive contracts but none ended up as key players at clubs that were consistently winning things.
“As a result their commercial value went through the floor. Not immediately, but once it was clear they were not challenging for honours.
“By the same token Liverpool shouldn’t wreck their wage structure just to keep Salah. That would mean they cannot keep other vital key players.
“If Salah stays and Liverpool are successful he will earn far more commercially than the club could ever pay him.”
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