Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have reportedly decided to target Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah as a replacement for Neymar in the summer transfer window.
Salah failed to register a goal or assist in the Premier League for just the third time this season when his side drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
The result still means that the Reds are first in the league and boast a healthy four-point advantage over Arsenal - while also having a game in hand - but with no positive news on the contracts of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold or Virgil van Dijk, fans fear the season could end on a sour note.
It is difficult to see how Arne Slot could possibly replace any of the trio, but Salah has arguably been the best player in the Premier League this season and has been fundamental to almost every Liverpool attack.
However, Sky Sports report that Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal want to bring Salah to the club in order to replace Neymar, who is himself out of contract at the end of the season.
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A damning indictment of Liverpool: Why has Salah not renewed?
Salah is currently free to talk to clubs abroad and come to a pre-contract agreement about leaving the Reds when his contract expires in the summer, and it is remarkable that Liverpool have allowed negotiations to drag on for so long.
The Egyptian has remarked that there has been no progress in talks despite his record-breaking first half of the season.
In just the Premier League, the 32-year-old has scored 18 goals and produced 13 assists in 20 games, and he leads the way in both categories despite his team having played one fewer match than every side other than Everton.
There is a realistic chance that Salah could end the campaign as the fourth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League given his tally of 175 - which puts him level with seventh-placed Thierry Henry - is just 12 fewer than fourth-placed Andrew Cole.
Sporting Director Richard Hughes might point to the fact that he only joined the club in the summer of 2024 as a reason why he has not yet signed the Egyptian to a new deal, but it is alarming that the club's ownership have seemingly not made more progress in talks with the forward.
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Could Liverpool's contract crisis get toxic?
If Liverpool fail to come to terms with Salah in the near future, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the atmosphere at home games could become toxic.
Fans aired their frustration at Alexander-Arnold earlier in January after his poor performance against Manchester United, with supporters concerned that the right-back's head had been turned by Real Madrid.
Salah and Van Dijk have both publicly expressed their desire to stay at the club, and while their comments could spare them fans' criticism, supporters could direct their ire towards Liverpool's ownership group FSG.
FSG have at times had a frayed relationship with the Anfield crowd, with the parties clashing over ticket prices, a perceived lack of spending and the attempt to join the breakaway European Super League.
Ensuring that stars like Salah renew would not only provide a boost to everyone involved with the club, but it may also prevent tensions from spilling over.
Lewis Nolan
