FSG masterstroke finally pays off as Liverpool fans get the deal of their DREAMS

At exactly 8am this morning, Liverpool fans received the notification they had been waiting years for.

Mohamed Salah will officially be staying at Liverpool for at least the next two years, putting a concrete end to the season-long saga that has left us all tearing our hair out over the potential that he could leave.

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But no. The rumours suggesting a move to Saudi Arabia have now formally been dismissed and the Egyptian King will continue to dominate the right side of the Anfield turf for years to come.

He can only really be considered as an eight-season wonder at this point, having delivered over thirty goal contributions in each of the campaigns where has wore the Liverbird on his chest.

This season in particular, he has performed at stratospheric levels, currently sitting on 32 goals and 22 assists in all competitions, with seven games still to play. The record books have been completely re-written.

But the Egyptian's new deal was in doubt for a long time, despite his brilliance, and the contract extension can only really be put down to an FSG masterstroke that was over a year in the making.

Under the utmost pressure, FSG deliver for Liverpool

During the 2023/24 season, Liverpool were sat in the Europa League, with Jorg Schamtdke as their sporting director, and while he deserves credit for rebuilding the midfield, it was clear that the situation was untenable.

The club needed revitalising and FSG were plotting ways to get the club back on track.

One of the moves they made was returning former sporting director Michael Edwards to his perch, although in a more senior capacity as the director of football, and Richard Hughes was brought in to the recruitment department, following his successful spell at Bournemouth.

Expectations from the fans were high. The sopranos had arrived and Liverpool were back in business.

Although almost eight months into the season, all the momentum created by the announcements had disappeared, following back-to-back transfer windows of inactivity.

Despite the Reds' impressive form on the pitch, the off the pitch issues were causing a headache, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk all set to have their contracts expire.

The squad was littered with holes that were becoming increasingly concerning and the recruitment's department's workload was getting bigger and bigger by the deal.

So while there would've been outrage if Liverpool had failed to convince Salah to pen a new deal, there is now an immense feeling of relief since the deal has been announced. But we cannot overlook who made it happen.

In place of all the slanderous criticisms of Hughes should come a rather large apology and signal of gratitude.

After, what is often forgotten is that the contract saga was a crisis that he inherited, rather than one he allowed to happen.

Of course, fans might point to Trent's impending exit as a sign that Hughes is fallible, but can we really blame the club for the loss of a player who wants to play elsewhere? What more can you do if your homegrown talent is forthright in his ambition to leave his boyhood club? You can't force him to stay.

So while an enormous summer is still expected, and Liverpool will have a lot more to do if they are to keep the fans on side, the first major hurdle has been passed with out a hitch, despite it taking longer than most would've liked.

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The Premier League title isn't won yet, so celebrations might be a little bit premature, but ahead of the biggest transfer window in years, the club have successfully built the foundations for a promising future.

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