Liverpool pay for golden contract

Salah this season is not as sharp as usual.

Last summer, Liverpool decided to keep two pillars with huge contracts. There, Salah received a salary worth up to 50 million pounds until 2027, while Van Dijk received a salary of 350,000 pounds/week - among the highest in the Premier League.

At the time, Anfield’s owners were praised for protecting the iconic value. Now, with a string of disappointing matches, that decision is starting to become a burden.

Salah lost his instinct, Van Dijk lost his speed

The 1-2 defeat to MU in round 8 of the Premier League on October 19 was a microcosm of the decline of both. In the first minute, Van Dijk's reflexes were slow, allowing Amad Diallo to comfortably pass the ball to Bryan Mbeumo to score. At the end of the match, Salah - in a favorable position - missed the post instead of finishing decisively or passing to teammate Florian Wirtz.

It was not an isolated moment. For weeks now, Salah has been lacking in sharpness, hasty in his movements and has all but lost the killer instinct that once terrified the Premier League. The 33-year-old has scored just one open-play goal in his last seven games, and has not looked the same as the player who scored 50 goals in his peak season.

Van Dijk, 34, is also showing signs of fatigue. He has lost a touch of pace, is slow on the ball and is often uncompromising in his defending. Watching Diallo set up Mbeumo is as if the Dutchman thinks his past “temperament” is enough to dominate any opponent – a dangerous illusion.

Van Dijk is now starting to show signs of age.

Roy Keane, always outspoken, did not hesitate to criticize Van Dijk: “He signed a big contract and then let the team concede goals. If you are the captain, you have to look at yourself. Two years ago, we criticized MU for 'pouring concrete' here. Now they scored two goals this year, two goals last year, and Van Dijk is still a center-back. Look in the mirror and ask yourself, what can you do to help the team?”

That statement sounds harsh, but it is true. When confidence turns into complacency, both Van Dijk and Salah are falling into a dangerous “trough” of their careers - where experience is no longer enough to compensate for the loss of physical strength and reflexes.

The price of the gold contract

Liverpool are not the first club to pay a price for loyalty. Marcus Rashford scored 30 goals for Man United but then fell out of favour after signing a new contract worth £325,000 a week. Mesut Ozil also became indifferent after Arsenal raised his salary to £350,000 a week in 2018.

Big numbers sometimes tie players down rather than motivate them. Salah and Van Dijk may not be in a “let go” state yet, but it’s hard to deny that their performances no longer justify their current huge salaries. Aside from Messi and Ronaldo, it’s rare for players over 33 to maintain a level of quality that would justify such a contract.

Salah is not young anymore.

Arne Slot, who is in charge at Anfield, tried to remain calm. “After games like this, people look at individuals. First it was the new players, now it is Salah,” he said.

But the numbers don’t lie. Salah has gone the longest run without scoring outside of a penalty, and has the same number of goals at Anfield as… Harry Maguire. Van Dijk has been more man-less than ever, slow and inaccurate.

No one at Liverpool wants to turn their backs on the two icons who brought them glory, but Slot is facing a difficult reality. There, the “souls” of the Jurgen Klopp era are gradually becoming a burden on the new journey.

Liverpool once lived off Salah and Van Dijk – now they could be the ones holding the team back. And if Slot dares to make a bold decision, it could be the turning point for Anfield to truly start a new cycle.

Source: https://znews.vn/liverpool-tra-gia-cho-hop-dong-vang-post1595447.html