Mohamed Salah theory shared by sports lawyer amid Liverpool contract chaos

 Sports lawyer Daniel Geey has shed light on the "cynical" rationale behind Liverpool potentially cutting ties with Mohamed Salah as he approaches the end of his contract.

Despite a stellar season at 32, Salah's future at Anfield is uncertain with his current deal expiring and no progress on renewal talks. The Egyptian forward is Liverpool's highest-paid player, raking in £350,000 ($440,000) weekly, yet an extension seems elusive.

The situation grows more complex as Liverpool stalwarts Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also face contract uncertainties. After years of shrewd investments, Liverpool risks losing three key players simultaneously. Geey, a partner at Sheridans law firm, highlighted Liverpool's reluctance to offer new deals to players over 30 as a significant factor in Salah's predicament.

Despite their pivotal roles in Liverpool's pursuit of Premier League glory, Geey pointed out a hidden concern during a discussion with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on The Overlap Fan Debate.

"Liverpool have been paying these three players at an undervalue for the last 18 months or so," he said. "Whatever Salah was worth three years ago, he might be worth a lot more now in terms of his performance levels.

"And then there's another, more cynical view. There's a lot of data research suggesting players looking to renew their deals actually overperform in the season of the renewal and massively underperform in the couple of seasons after that renewal.

"So I wouldn't put it past them at all for [chief executive Michael] Edwards, [sporting director Richard] Hughes and [technical director Julian] Ward to be playing an absolute blinder. It'll all be determined at the end of the season if they play well or not and win the league and Champions League."

Jamie Carragher still hoping for the best

It's an intriguing theory that Salah - who is currently leading the Premier League Golden Boot race with 23 goals this season - has intentionally upped his game this year. However, it could simply be that new boss Slot is extracting more from the player than Jurgen Klopp did in his final seasons on Merseyside.

Alexander-Arnold is mulling over a move to join forces with Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, while Barcelona and Saudi club Al-Nassr are said to be keeping tabs on Van Dijk. When asked about who he thinks is most likely to leave Liverpool this summer, Geey singled out one player. "[I'm a] terrible betting man, but if I was gonna go, I would go with Van Dijk," he said. "I think Trent is 50/50. I think Salah is more likely to go."

Carragher swiftly dismissed the suggestion with a blunt "didn't want to hear that," echoing the frustrations felt by many Reds fans. Still, there's a glimmer of rationale to be found in the argument, particularly when you consider Alexander-Arnold's younger years positioning him favorably for a new deal, unlike Van Dijk on his £220,000 ($277,000) per week wage which might present a savvier bet financially compared to Salah's demands.

With Salah still hitting peak form as he nears his 33rd birthday this June, he's showcasing the kind of endurance that hints at several more years at the top level. Nonetheless, that's the type of wager Liverpool's decision-makers might just balk at.