Ex-Man Utd chief Ed Woodward advised Liverpool owner over Mo Salah's contract

Former chief actually advised Liverpool owner John W. Henry over ’s contract, it has emerged.

’s hugely impressive start to the 2024/25 season under has had a cloud hanging over it due to the alarming contract situations surrounding three star players – , and Salah. Like his two team-mates, Salah’s contract is set to expire next summer, having last signed a three-year deal in July 2022 on £350,000-per-week, which made him the club’s highest earner.

Superstar goalscorer Salah, who grabbed the winner against at Anfield on Saturday, is yet to clarify where his future lies come the end of the season, with the Reds last year from Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ittihad. However, he has provided a cryptic update today on social media by posting the phrase "no matter what happens" while reflecting on the victory over Brighton, which many have taken to be a hint he accepts he will leave next year.

Now, it has sensationally been reported that one man who was involved in the process of the forward being offered potentially his last Liverpool contract was none other than ex-United executive vice-chairman Woodward, whose time at Old Trafford came to an end in April 2022.

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The reports that Liverpool’s majority owner John Henry was keen to extend Salah’s contract before the 2022 final, where the Reds lost 1-0 to .

Henry, at the time, had become close with highly unpopular figure, Woodward, at arch-rivals United. The two had worked together on ‘Project Big Picture’ – a plan hatched by the owners of Liverpool and United to shake up how money was redistributed across English football clubs.

Salah was only being pursued by Paris Saint-Germain back then, despite his impressive career since joining the Reds in 2017. And with the Egyptian not seeing as the optimum place where he could grab a Ballon d’Or, Liverpool were in a good position to negotiate a contract extension with their star player as he had nowhere else obvious to go.

Former accountant and investment banker Woodward amazingly advised the billionaire on how Liverpool were best to approach contract talks with Salah. It is claimed that Woodward told Henry of his struggles in managing expectations from other players after giving David de Gea his own mammoth new deal at Old Trafford in 2019. The Brit offered his own experience as a warning to Liverpool.

Two years prior, following a win over in December 2020, Salah was interviewed by two reporters from Spain. He answered several questions, including one where he stated he was “very disappointed” at being overlooked for the role of stand-in captain during a dead-rubber Champions League fixture earlier that month

He also referred to Real Madrid and as ‘top clubs’, while suggesting a new deal at Anfield was in the hands of decision-makers at Liverpool. Liverpool saw Salah’s interview as an attempt to connect with a Spanish audience and drive up interest and strengthen his hand when it came to discussions that might start the following summer, two years ahead of the expiration of his contract.

Since then, though, he has continued to show his true value to the Reds, and could even help lead them to another title this season after a dream weekend for Liverpool in terms of results at the top of table. But whether the Egyptian ever puts pen to paper, or is even offered a fresh deal by the club whose fans love him so much, remains to be seen.

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