Liverpool are preparing to open talks with Mohamed Salah over a new contract, Sunday World journalist Kevin Palmer has reported.

The lowdown

As Palmer noted, the Egyptian now has two years remaining on his £200,000-per-week contract at Anfield. His current salary places him joint-top of Liverpool's earnings list alongside 2020 arrival Thiago Alcantara.

The Egyptian has finished as the Reds' top scorer in each of his four seasons at Anfield, twice winning the Premier League Golden Boot.

He is expected to report back to the AXA Training Centre next Monday for the first day of pre-season training.

The latest

Palmer says that 'some big decisions' will be 'taken soon', with 'no guarantee' that Salah will end his career at Anfield. Liverpool are said to be keen to avoid a repeat of the Georginio Wijnaldum situation, with the Dutchman able to move to PSG as a free agent after reaching the end of his contract. [Sunday World]

The club are 'hopeful' that they can tie Salah down, although it may mean making a 'special exception' to their policy of avoiding long-term contracts for over-30s - the Egyptian will reach that age next June. They're also keen to preserve the existing wage structure at Anfield. [Sunday World]

The verdict

Liverpool won't want to be held to ransom, of course, but they simply need to secure commitment from Salah. They can't allow the uncertainty to build.

The 29-year-old is still very much in the midst of his peak years, and there's every reason to believe he can maintain his current output for another while yet. We shouldn't think of 30 as the automatic threshold for decline - that's too simplistic a view.

While it's important for clubs to have principles, you also need to know when to compromise, and this is one of those moments where the Reds can't afford to be stubborn. Salah is simply too important to them to let him walk away for nothing.

In other news, these Liverpool fans react to links with a youngster who shone at Euro 2020.