A rival Premier League 'insider' has suggested that Liverpool cannot allow Mohamed Salah to follow Sadio Mane out the Anfield exit door. 

The lowdown: Contract impasse

Currently set to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield (Transfermarkt), negotiations regarding a new deal for the forward signed from Roma by Jurgen Klopp for a reported £34m in 2017 have seemingly reached a standstill.

Having previously been believed to have requested a salary of £500,000 per week, a recent report from The Athletic claimed that the Reds' hierarchy would need to offer 'significantly improved' terms to the 30-year-old to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2023.

After Liverpool allowed Sadio Mane to join Bayern Munich already this summer, talkSPORT claim there have been 'one or two murmurings' of Salah following suit, and one rival onlooker has had his say on the prospect of the 156-goal Salah leaving Anfield in the near future...

The latest: 'Monumental blow'

Speaking to Football Insider, John Wenham - an insider who breaks news about Tottenham on the Lilywhite Rose social media channels - has been reacting to what he's heard from the Anfield faithful, claiming it would be 'monumental' to lose their Egyptian King.

He said: “I speak to Liverpool fans and I’ve heard some say they would rather Salah had gone instead of Mane. They watch Liverpool a lot more than I do but they say he is a very frustrating player to watch at times.

“Since the AFCON he has been so wasteful, so there is talk about wanting more money. I thought that was quite interesting because it seems as though things are coming to a head now. It would be a monumental blow if Liverpool were to lose Salah as well as Mane because, as much as you hope players like Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott kick on, there is no guarantee they will hit the same levels.

“There are other options there, of course. I do think Firmino will take a back seat this season with Diaz and Nunez starting with Salah. They still have Jota as well so I don’t understand the rhetoric of Tottenham catching Liverpool next season, there is still some way to go.”

The verdict: Spot on

While the January arrival of Luis Diaz and the recent capture of Darwin Nunez have the capacity to go some way to replacing the output and overall impact of a player as extraordinary as Mane, it's certainly not a given.

In 2021/22, the African duo provided a combined 75 direct goal involvements, with Salah ending the campaign with 31 goals and 16 assists across all competitions whilst Mane finished his last season on Merseyside with 23 strikes and five assists. Those numbers won't be easy for others to replicate.

If newly-appointed sporting director Julian Ward is suddenly tasked with replacing Salah - who was recently hailed as 'exceptional' by sports journalist Daniel Moxon - as well as Mane, then the Reds would certainly be facing a transitional season ahead instead of another potential tilt at the Premier League title.