Mo Salah or Luis Diaz: Liverpool’s AWFUL decision after another contract LOWBALL

Despite all of the talk around Liverpool’s ongoing contract negotiations, the talk always focuses on whether Liverpool will be able to reach agreements with their stars and not whether they can actually afford to do so.

The world of football finances is a messy and misunderstood one. And despite the enormous figures that are dealt with from the business side of the game, it remains a reality that teams can’t give every player they want on their team the deals that they players think they deserve.

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Today’s report on Luis Diaz is a prime example of this.

The report indicates that there is currently a ‘disagreement’ over the pay rise Diaz wants in his new contract and the one Liverpool are willing to offer him.

As per Capology, Diaz’s current weekly salary is £55,000. And whilst that’s eye-watering to me or you, it makes him one of the lowest-paid players on Liverpool’s book at the minute. By comparison, the lesser-spotted Federico Chiesa is being paid £150,000 a week by the club.

It’s an example of the serious problem that Liverpool face at the moment. Mo Salah is currently earning £350,000 a week and, amid reports Saudi Arabia would be willing to pay him more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s £3.2m weekly wage, wants even more than that in his new Liverpool deal.

Liverpool paying Salah might cost them everything

At a certain point, losses have to be cut. Deals have to be made. Liverpool are also negotiating with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, who will want more than their current respective £180k and £220k weekly salaries.

And this is on top of needing to constantly replenish the quality of the squad, with Martin Zubimendi, Milos Kerkez and Omar Marmoush all reportedly in Liverpool’s sights.

Sporting director Richard Hughes and Chief Executive of Football Michael Edwards need to figure out the losses they are willing to make.

Despite Salah’s world-leading excellence, giving £400,000+ a week to a 32-year old typically doesn’t work out for a club. Especially not when it is getting in the way of negotiations with other members of your starting XI.

It seems that letting Mo Salah go would be the most obvious way of being able to hike up your offers to Diaz, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and any new recruits.

But if re-signing Salah comes at the cost of the dynamic 27-year old Diaz - or Alexander-Arnold, or necessary new signings - Liverpool may end up looking back at it as one of the more obvious mistakes in their history.

Liverpool need to figure out who they are willing to lose and not waste time insulting them with offers that they’re not going to be receptive to. If you can identify worthwhile replacements, ripping the plaster off causes less pain in the long run.

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