Paul Merson ‘Shocked’ at news coming out of Liverpool
Liverpool had some excellent news to share this week, which has sent shockwaves through the footballing world.
Liverpool suffered months of uncertainty and a long nervous wait, but Mohamed Salah signed a new contract to keep him at the club for two more years.
Virgil van Dijk is set to follow suit and extend his stay at the club, with both players running down their contracts until the final few months.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to leave and join Real Madrid, but Liverpool have still managed to keep two of their other key stars, in a surprise turn of events.
Merson shocked at Salah decision to stay at Liverpool
Speaking on Sky Sports News (12 April), former Arsenal striker Paul Merson admitted that he was shocked at Salah’s decision to stay, but praised Liverpool for convincing him to remain at Anfield.
“I’m shocked. I’m really shocked. I didn’t think he’d sign. I thought it had just dragged on too long,” Merson stated.
“To let your contract to go this long, with two months to go, it tells me that you want to be leaving.
| Stat | Salah |
| Appearances | 45 |
| Goals | 32 |
| Assists | 22 |
“I’m shocked. It’s a major, major coup for Liverpool. You’re getting a £100m player for nothing. It’s unbelievable.
“They’ve had the biggest result. To let three players run their contracts down, and to get probably two out of the three to sign, is a major coup, and it shows how big a club Liverpool is.”
Keeping Salah solves Liverpool problem
Liverpool would have faced a huge problem if Salah departed Liverpool, given his remarkable output this season.
The winger has scored 32 goals and provided 22 assists across all competitions, his best return yet in a legendary career for Liverpool.
It would have been impossible to directly replace Salah, and with several other forwards potentially headed towards the exit including Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, retaining Salah will help Slot next season.
Liverpool are set for big changes in their attack, but Salah is arguably the most reliable goalscorer in the squad, making any transitional period a lot easier for the Reds.