Liverpool’s now inevitable romp to their second Premier League title will naturally be the main headline grabber come the end of the season. But the protracted contract negotiations for some of their established stars have provided something a of a sub-plot to an already captivating season for the Merseyside club.

Virgil Van Dijk followed Mohamed Salah this month by extending his contract for a further 2 years, with Trent Alexander-Arnold still seemingly poised to leave the club in the summer. Neither deal seemed inevitable, and there are some that would argue that the club would have been justified in moving on from their aging stars in order to facilitate a potential overhaul under Arne Slot. In the case of Salah, it was his performances on the pitch that left the club’s hierarchy in little doubt over whether to offer their Egyptian star an extension.

The idea of a contract year is a regularly used term in American sports to define a player that has an expiring deal at the end of the season. The general expectation is for the respective player to perform better knowing that their value on the open market will be determined by their most recent numbers. This is less common in the Premier League where players often see their contracts renewed well in advance of their final years, especially for established stars. The logic for a player like Salah to be allowed to run-down his contract is to allow his considerable wages to be removed from the bill at the expiry of his deal – especially considering a player turning 33 this summer is expect to be declining year on year.

The final point about Salah’s age is what makes this season all the more remarkable, and affirms the Liverpool decision to retain the Egyptian into next season. His return of 27 goals and 18 assists in 33 league appearances puts him on course to potentially exceed his highest scoring season in 2017/18, all the more impressive given that this is far from a one-dimensional Liverpool side with a plethora of other attacking options available. Salah remains talisman, and alongside Van Dijk offers a level of experience that Slot can lean on as he shapes this side in the years to come.

It would have been difficult for Liverpool to move on from Salah, especially considering the likelihood of supporter backlash but also the potential to not have control over his destination in the summer. Salah clearly still has value at this level, and outside of a contract there is always the risk of him strengthening a rival even in the short term. By agreeing to a short term deal, Liverpool could still move on from Salah if next season sees a drop-off in performance and also ensure that he moves away from the Premier League.  His reported salary deal puts him reportedly in the £450,000 – £500,000 per week bracket – once bonuses are factored in – and this in itself will likely limit the Egyptian to certain destinations.

There is still every chance that a mooted move to Saudi Arabia could still materialize next year. It would be difficult to imagine Salah replicating his numbers from this season, and given the wage burden his contract places on the club it would be worthwhile paying serious consideration to likely advances from the Saudis. Clearly that interest exists and recent comments from the Saudi Sports Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal only underline this:

“I mean, he’s a superstar,” Al-Faisal told reporters ahead of F1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “He’s an iconic Arab Muslim. He fits the identity of playing in the Saudi league. It was his decision to renew with, but linking Saudi to him and everything . I think from Day 1 they link Saudi to him. There wasn’t any discussions. But it’s good to have that.”

The focus for Saudi Arabian football may now favour a focus on acquiring younger players, but it is clear that given his roots and regional appeal, a deal to eventually bring Salah to the Middle East is likely. But to defer this decision for at least a season is pragmatic from a Liverpool perspective and allows them to end the Salah era on their own terms.