Mo Salah salary demands emerge with Europe’s most in-form side ready to disrupt ‘economic balance’ to sign Liverpool man

Liverpool superstar Mo Salah has reportedly made clear his enormous salary demands to Barcelona if he is to agree a move to the Spanish giants at the end of the season – and amid claims the Reds have whittled down their shortlist of contenders to replace him to two names.

Salah has been in irresistible form this season, contributing nine goals and nine assists from his 15 appearances so far taking his overall tally to 220 goals across 365 appearances for Liverpool. But with his deal due to expire at the end of the season, the Reds look in serious danger of losing their talismanic star, who once again appeared to drop a cryptic hint over the weekend that his time on Merseyside could be drawing to a close.

“Top of the table is where this club belongs. Nothing less. All teams win matches but there’s only 1 champion in the end. That’s what we want.

“Thank you for your support last night. No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like,” Salah wrote on Instagram.

While Liverpool remain keen to secure Salah to a new deal, interest in securing his services is strong, with Saudi side Al-Ittihad understood to be strong contenders for his signature.

However, there is interest too from within Europe and reports on Tuesday revealed Barcelona were among those ready to throw their hat into the ring as they look to complete a four-year mission to sign the player.

Now according to El Nacional, the LaLiga table-toppers – the most in-form side in Europe’s top five leagues – are giving serious thought to sanctioning a move for the player after Salah was reported to have made clear his substantial salary demands to the Spaniards during preliminary talks over a possible move.

And while it is claimed that any deal for Salah would disrupt the ‘economic balance’ at the Nou Camp, it it something that president Joan Laporta is giving serious thought to and with the Liverpool forward looking for a salary ‘close to €15m (£12.5m, €16.1m) gross per season’ – which equates to some £240,000 a week after tax.

IN-DEPTH ~ Liverpool superstar Salah’s most outrageous and updated stats which show Slot why he’s simply irreplaceable

Liverpool ‘want to keep Salah’ as Barcelona near decision

It’s claimed that, despite those demands, Barcelona ‘do not rule out making a move if the conditions are favourable’ and a ‘final decision could come in the coming months’.

Salah has of course played his cards close to his chest but with the Reds flying high at the top of the Premier League table and the Champions League, the player could yet be given a firm reason to stay if he sees that remaining at Anfield remains his best chance of winning silverware and with the small matter of a number of goals records now within his sights.

Liverpool, for their part, do remain determined to keep him at Anfield with TEAMtalk revealing they have offered him a renewal, though we understand there remains a strong chance he could depart with sources revealing back in September that they ‘expect’ him to leave.

Reds boss Arne Slot, meanwhile, is paying little attention to what is being said and written with his only focus being on getting more top performances from the player.

“Is Salah irreplaceable? That’s not what I think about at the moment,” Slot told TNT Sport Brazil. “The only thing that I think about is that he’s so important for us scores important goals, works hard for the team and I’m hoping that he can enjoy that feeling (scoring at Anfield) many, many, many more times – especially if I’m here.

“But even if I’m not here I’m still hoping for him that he can do this many more times. He’s been incredible for Liverpool for the past six, seven, eight years.

“I don’t know exactly how long he’s been here, and he’s been incredible for us this season. I hope he can continue doing this for the rest of the season and maybe longer to come. But that’s something up to him and the club to find the idea about the future.”

Liverpool transfer latest: Alexander-Arnold ‘will stay’ / Reds eye two Salah heirs

When it comes to replacing Salah, a report has claimed that Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has whittled down his list of potential replacements to just two names, with a pair of £50m-rated Premier League attackers now the focus of their attention.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been told by Stephen Warnock that Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘will stay’ at Anfield next season with the lure of captaining his hometown club too big an opportunity to turn down for the homegrown star.

Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with Real Madrid but Warnock has stated very clearly why he thinks he will snub their advances to remain at Anfield.

Elsewhere, we have been told that Virgil van Dijk is ‘closer than people realise’ to signing an extension to stay at Liverpool too after Slot made his position clear on the defender’s future.

And finally, reports in Italy claim the Reds have also been offered a swap deal by AC Milan for Federico Chiesa that would see Slot landing one of Milan’s most versatile midfielders as part of a straight exchange, with Liverpool chiefs said to be giving serious thought to the potential deal.

Salah’s Liverpool stats season by season