Report shows how Trent’s exit surprisingly aided Liverpool in retaining Salah.

Liverpool were reportedly able to offer Mohamed Salah a more competitive contract thanks to the expected departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold. With both players — along with Virgil van Dijk — nearing the ends of their contracts, the club has faced a busy period of negotiations.

Salah has now officially signed a new deal, which comes as a major boost for the Reds. According to BBC Sport, the Egyptian star isn’t taking a pay cut and is set to earn close to £400,000 per week.

Interestingly, the report suggests that Alexander-Arnold’s anticipated free transfer to Real Madrid gave Liverpool more financial flexibility, easing the wage burden and helping them secure Salah’s future.

While losing Alexander-Arnold without a fee will be a significant loss, the club likely would have had to offer him a similarly large salary to stay. Although it’s uncertain whether Liverpool could have kept all three stars, having Trent’s wages off the books appears to have played a part in finalizing Salah’s deal.

BBC Sport also notes that money wasn’t the deciding factor for Salah, who turned down a massive £500 million offer from Saudi Arabia in order to continue competing at the highest level.

At 32, Salah remains one of the top performers in world football, with an impressive 32 goals and 22 assists across all competitions this season. Much like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Salah shows every sign of continuing to excel well into his 30s.