Stephen Warnock has predicted that Mo Salah will be more than capable of prolonging his best footballing years beyond the traditional point of decline for players.
The Egyptian is yet to agree an extension with Liverpool, with his current contract set to run its course in the summer of 2023.
“You have to look at his age but, now, the way players are looked after, the way they look after themselves, the facilities, you’re seeing the longevity increasing,” the former defender told the Mirror.
“You used to find players would get to 31/32 and would have to drop down the leagues but you’re not seeing that now, players are able to compete at the highest level for longer.
“With Salah, you only have to look at the condition he’s in to know he’s a very professional guy who looks after himself.
“I think he will play at the top level for a long, long time because he’s got that burst of pace but he’s also got more to his game than that – the low centre of gravity, the swerve, the movement.”
It should be noted, however, that talks do appear to be progressing in a positive manner – an update Jurgen Klopp himself provided in a recent discussion with Sky Sports.
Given his superb levels of conditioning, it’s difficult to imagine the 29-year-old’s goalscoring prowess taking a nosedive in the near future.
As such, one has to wonder how greatly the club would regret parting ways with the record-breaking forward at 31-years-old given that the likes of Leo Messi (34), Cristiano Ronaldo (36) and Robert Lewandowski (34) continue to contribute at the highest level.
That’s not to undermine the balancing act FSG and Mike Gordon have to consider to ensure that we don’t replicate the financial mistakes of fallen giant Barcelona, though it should be possible to arrange a compromise that allows for Salah to extend his best years at Anfield.