Losing talisman Mohamed Salah is a gamble Liverpool cannot afford to take

Club owners are reluctant to give 29-year-old bumper new pay deal but fans would rightly be furious if star striker is allowed to go

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  Mohamed Salah celebrates with Liverpool teammates after scoring the fourth goal against Watford in the Premier League match at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Getty Images

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  Mohamed Salah chases down the ball against Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster. Reuters

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  Watford manager Claudio Ranieri watches on from the touchline. Reuters

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  Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp remonstrates from the touchline. Reuters

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  Emmanuel Dennis of Watford and Liverpool midfielder James Milner battle for the ball. Getty Images

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  Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool's fourth goal against Watford. Reuters

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  Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring Liverpool's third goal against Watford. Reuters

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  Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool's fourth goal against Watford. Reuters

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  Mohamed Salah breaks through the Watford defence to score. Reuters

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  Mohamed Salah shoots to score Liverpool's third goal against Watford. Getty Images

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  Roberto Firmino celebrates with Trent Alexander-Arnold after scoring Liverpool's second goal. Reuters

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  Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk heads the ball in front of Watford winger Ismaila Sarr. Reuters

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  Sadio Mane celebrates with teammates after scoring Liverpool's first goal against Watford. Reuters

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  Sadio Mane shoots to score Liverpool's first goal against Watford. Reuters

Mohamed Salah is hitting heights that few Liverpool players have reached. It should be the easiest decision in the club’s history to extend the Egyptian’s contract beyond its 2023 expiry date. Jurgen Klopp has said that the striker is the best player in the world at the moment. So why the delay after a summer when a number of Anfield’s core players had their deals extended and were handed pay rises?

Football is never quite as simple as it looks. Salah is looking for at least parity with his Premier League peers — Kevin De Bruyne earns in the region of £380,000 per week at Manchester City. This presents Fenway Sports Group (FSG) with a huge decision. To satisfy the goalscorer, Liverpool’s owners will have to double his current wages to £400,000 a week. That would be a gamble in their eyes.

If it was a simple matter of talent FSG would sign the cheque now. Salah is the player who, more than any other, vindicates the recruitment ethos that the Americans have brought to Merseyside.

They desperately wanted to sign him from Basel in 2014. Brendan Rodgers, the manager at the time, was less certain and dithered, allowing Chelsea to gazump their rivals. FSG had to wait another three years to get their man, eventually paying Roma £36.9 million for his services. Liverpool’s scouts were certain that he had the potential to become a superstar.

The problem is that Salah is 29. FSG’s concern is that they will be tied into a huge contract for a player entering his thirties next summer. Their philosophy is built around youth and value. The fear is that they will be stuck with a player in decline banking a massive salary.

Virgil van Dijk is 30 and the club extended his deal in August. The difference is that the Dutchman earns £220,000 per week. That is a long way short of Salah’s demands.

Sadio Mane, 29, and Roberto Firmino, 30, are also out of contract in two years’ time. Decisions need to be made on how to reshape the front three by balancing costs and effectiveness. Salah is the most marketable of the three and would recoup the biggest fee if sold next summer. However, if he extends his deal before his attacking teammates, their financial expectations will soar.

Salah’s worth cannot be gleaned from a mere balance sheet. The emotional and psychological impact of his leaving would be huge. His performance in the 5-0 victory over Watford on Saturday was reminiscent of Kenny Dalglish, the greatest player in Liverpool’s history.

Atletico Madrid 2 Liverpool 3: player ratings

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  ATLETICO MADRID RATINGS: Jan Oblak - 6: The Slovenian did not have much chance of stopping any of the goals. He made some fine saves but his distribution was poor. AFP

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  Kieran Trippier - 6: The Englishman made life difficult for Mane and was not shy of using underhand tactics. A combative display. PA

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  Felipe - 5: The Brazilian was slack early on and his clearance gave Keita the opportunity to score. He improved later but will regret his slow start. Getty

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  Geoffrey Kondogbia - 4: The 28-year-old was deployed out of position at centre back and did not look comfortable. He was replaced by Gimenez at half-time. Getty

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  Mario Hermoso - 2: The Spaniard was awful. He frequently wasted possession, defended awkwardly and barged over Jota to concede the penalty that gave Liverpool victory. AFP

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  Thomas Lemar - 7: The Frenchman helped bring his side back into the game with the cross for the first goal and managed to find space throughout. He was a constant threat but was left with too much to do when Atletico went down to 10 men. AP

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  Rodrigo De Paul - 6: The Argentinian produced some good touches going forward but neglected his defensive duties. He was withdrawn for Lodi with 10 minutes left. AFP

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  Koke - 4: The 29-year-old could not match Liverpool’s tempo. He needed to put his stamp on the game but failed in that task. AP

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  Yannick Carrasco - 6: The Belgian was another who started sloppily but improved. He was better going forward but was forced to temper his ambitions after the red card. AFP

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  Antoine Griezmann - 6: The Frenchman ruined a splendid two-goal performance with a silly high foot that earned him an avoidable red card early in the second half. Graded down two marks for reckless stupidity. AFP

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  Joao Felix – 7: The Portuguese showed his class and pace. His run and pass set up Griezmann to equalise. Withdrawn with 10 minutes left when Correa came on. AFP

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  SUBS: Jose Maria Gimenez - 6: The Uruguayan replaced Kondogbia after the break. He was bundled over in the area by Jota and on other nights might have been awarded a penalty. Getty

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  Renan Lodi - 5: One of a quartet of 80th-minute substitutes. He replaced de Paul but was unable to have much impact. AFP

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  Angel Correa - 5: The Argentinian came on for Joao Felix with 10 minutes left. He had one chance but never quite got to the pace of the game. EPA

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  Marcos Llorente - 5: The 26-year-old was sent on in the 80th minute in place of Hermoso. He produced a strong run down the line but the cross was aimless. Getty

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  Luis Suarez - 5: The former Liverpool striker was desperate to get on the pitch but only saw 10 minutes of action when Lamar came off. He made one chance but displayed more anger than art. AFP

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  LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker - 8: The Brazilian kept his team in the game, making three excellent saves in the first half and another in the second. A picture of composure in a chaotic match. EPA

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold - 5: A difficult night defensively for the 22-year-old, especially before the break. He was replaced by Gomez with five minutes to go. AP

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  Joel Matip - 5: The centre back was disoriented by the speed and movement of the counter-attacks. The pressure relaxed a little when the opposition went down to 10 men. EPA

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  Virgil van Dijk - 5: The Dutchman lost Griezmann on the equaliser and was more uncertain than usual. He had a scoring chance with a header but directed the effort at Oblak. AFP

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  Andy Robertson - 5: The Scot was energetic going forward but his delivery was imprecise. He stuck to his task when defending. AP

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  Jordan Henderson - 5: The captain seemed unsure of his role until Fabinho was brought on at half time. He gave the ball away more often than usual. AP

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  James Milner - 7: The 35-year-old used all his experience to make his mark in midfield and he combined nicely with Salah. He was unfortunate to be booked, which led to him being replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 63rd minute. Reuters

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  Naby Keita - 5: The Guinean scored a superb goal but did not do enough defensively. He could have done much better for both of Atletico’s goals and was replaced by Fabinho at half time. AFP

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  Mohamed Salah - 8: The Egyptian maintained his mindblowing form with a brilliant opening goal and a perfectly-taken penalty to win the game. He was taken off in stoppage time when Williams came on to shore up the defence. AP

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  Roberto Firmino - 6: The Brazilian dropped back to supplement the midfield, which meant he was forced to neglect his attacking duties for periods. Griezmann was sent off for kicking him in the face. Reuters

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  Sadio Mane - 4: The Senegalese allowed himself to be distracted by the rugged treatment meted out by Atletico. It was no surprise when Jota replaced him in the 62nd minute. Getty

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  SUBS: Fabinho - 7: The Brazilian came on for Keita after half time and the midfield immediately looked more balanced. A calming, constructive influence. AP

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  Diogo Jota - 5: The Portuguese joined the action in the 62nd minute at the expense of Mane. He was fouled for the game-winning penalty but almost conceded a spot-kick at the other end moments later. Getty

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  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 7: The Englishman entered the fray with 27 minutes to go in place of Milner. He worked hard up and down the pitch and tested Oblak with a powerful shot. AFP

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  Joe Gomez – 6: The 24-year-old was brought on to replace Alexander-Arnold with five minutes to go. He was strong against Lodi. AFP

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  Neco Williams - 6: Brought on for Salah in stoppage time. The 20-year-old was secure and even got forward to fashion a shooting chance. AFP

The pass with the outside of his foot for Mane’s opening goal evoked the Scot at his most creative and delicate. Then Salah extricated himself from a gaggle of players in the opposition area to score an exquisite strike that underlined the comparisons with Dalglish.

On Wednesday he blew past Atletico Madrid defenders in a style that brought to mind John Barnes or Steven Gerrard before firing into the net to set Liverpool on their way to a 3-2 win in the Spanish capital.

Salah ranks with the most legendary members of the Anfield pantheon. The goalscoring records tell only half the story. He is one of those rare players whose presence affects opposition thinking and sends a surge of belief through his own dressing room. There is no price on what he brings to the team. To allow him to depart next summer would disgust supporters and lower the club’s prestige.

Klopp’s team is set up to get the best out of Salah. For all the praise handed out to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, the system works because of the forward’s pace and movement.

FSG do not have many options. They need their talisman. By contrast, Salah does not need Liverpool. He is a man in demand. He has a great sense of his own status and knows he has one more big move in him. Spain is an attractive option and although there are a limited number of clubs who can afford him, there will be a short, filthy-rich queue for his signature if he departs Anfield.

Liverpool need to make him an offer he cannot refuse. It would be foolish to let him leave while he is at the top of his game.