Hughes Faces Backlash Over Salah Departure
Liverpool are entering a new chapter without Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian forward confirmed on Tuesday that he will leave Anfield at the end of the season, ending a nine-year spell marked by extraordinary success both individually and collectively. Salah will surely be remembered as one of the club’s all-time greats.
Reliable Liverpool sources suggest that Salah will depart on a free transfer, following what appears to be a termination agreement for his £400k+ per week contract, signed almost exactly a year ago and set to run until 2027.
Whatever the precise terms, the decision to extend Salah’s deal has already drawn heavy criticism. Many observers have questioned Richard Hughes’ judgement in offering such a contract, with the failure to extract a transfer fee now a glaring issue.
Renewed Contract Viewed as Strategic Error
When Salah signed his renewal last year, the intention was clear: to ensure Liverpool retained their talisman or secured a significant transfer fee if he were to leave. Instead, the forward’s form has dipped this season, and the club faces losing him for nothing.
If Salah had maintained the levels seen in the first two-thirds of the 2024/25 campaign, where he scored 29 goals and registered 18 assists in the Premier League alone, a contract extension would have looked justified. But signs of slowing, or being increasingly isolated in attack, appeared as early as the Champions League knockout loss to Paris Saint-Germain and the EFL Cup final defeat to Newcastle.
Hughes is tasked with balancing ambition, performance, and financial prudence. The Salah contract now stands out as a misjudgement. Whether due to a dip in form, injuries, or tactical mismanagement, Liverpool have spent over £20m in wages over the course of a year for a player leaving without a transfer fee, while Saudi Arabian clubs reportedly considered paying up to £100m in January, and Egyptian clubs were prepared to offer £50m this summer.
Consequences for Liverpool’s Squad Planning
The departure leaves Arne Slot with a squad unbalanced by the loss of one of its key attackers. The renewal had also tied up substantial resources in wages, making it more difficult to reinforce other positions, while the £450m spent last summer on the squad has been partly overshadowed by what now seems an avoidable mistake.
Salah’s exit underscores the wider challenges of Liverpool’s planning under Hughes. Offering a pay rise to a player whose best years may have been behind him, and then losing him on a free transfer, has created a situation that could have been avoided if the club had opted to let Salah depart last summer.
New Chapter for Liverpool and Salah
As Liverpool move forward, they face the dual task of replacing Salah’s goals and managing the financial consequences of the failed renewal. Fans and analysts alike will scrutinise Hughes’ record, with the Salah contract viewed as one of the most significant errors in his tenure.
For Salah, this represents a new chapter in his career, with freedom to choose his next destination and the chance to continue performing at the highest level elsewhere. For Liverpool, it is a sobering reminder that even the most decorated careers can present management challenges, and that careful planning in contracts is crucial to protecting both the club’s competitiveness and its finances.
Whatever unfolds, this episode will remain a pivotal moment in Liverpool’s recent history, illustrating the fine balance between ambition, loyalty, and strategic oversight.
