Did anyone really believe Mohamed Salah would be playing for anyone but Liverpool next season?
Through all those interviews since September, and all the weekly updates surrounding the future of the Egyptian and Virgil van Dijk, there was always one common-sense conclusion: it would have been ridiculous had either of them refused to sign new deals.
Liverpool will not find a better attacker than Salah this summer, and he could not be at a better club than Liverpool at this stage of his career.
When he considered his options, it was obvious that he wanted to stay so he could edge closer to goalscoring records and pursue the big trophies and individual honours which have driven him towards his world-class status.
Had this ended any other way, criticism would have been warranted on both sides.
Liverpool would have been hammered for allowing a legend to leave, while questions would have been rightly asked of players who were walking out of the club at this moment in its history – top of the Premier League with the promise of further titles and Champions League bids. When eras such as this come around, you need to make hay and grasp every opportunity.
Salah and Van Dijk would have been accused of cutting their noses off to spite their faces if their contract expectations were not met. Thankfully, it has not come to that.
Throughout the process, most of the criticism has been directed at Liverpool and their new sporting director, Richard Hughes, for not resolving such a critical issue sooner. It was unwarranted.
Liverpool approached this exactly how they had to. They have played a blinder, refusing to cave in to pressure.
It does not matter how good a player is, you do not rush to give long and lucrative contract extensions to players who will be 32 and 33 at the end of their current deals.
Only poorly run clubs operate in that way.
When Hughes was headhunted by Fenway Sports Group football supremo Michael Edwards at the end of last season he could have been forgiven for thinking he was chucked a few hand grenades before he had even settled into the role.
One of the world’s great managers, Jurgen Klopp, needed replacing, while three legendary players would be free to agree to a pre-contract agreement with other clubs from January.
Arne Slot’s appointment has proven a masterstroke. Now Salah is signed up with Van Dijk to follow. If, as expected, Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves, that is more to do with his desire to play for Real Madrid than anything the current heads of Liverpool’s football department could have done to prevent it.
Friday’s news should give the team added momentum in the final weeks of this season.
I must admit, it has not always been ...
