The fans are the winners as Mo looks ready to extend his incredible legacy at Liverpool

FOR Mohamed Salah, in the end, it has come down to a relatively simple choice over his next move: renew his contract with Liverpool or head off to Saudi Arabia and call time on a career at the elite level.

- By PAUL GORST

And as the season has worn on and the options have whittled down, the situation has bottle-necked.

Salah’s bargaining position has started to grow weaker by the month, leaving the only real alternative to what was already his preferred choice to remain at Anfield, being a move to a half-speed league, way outside of the parameters of European football's spotlight.

As he now closes in on a two-year agreement with Liverpool, that has helped make this decision even more straightforward.

It’s likely why those at the club have been comfortable enough to leave things without a resolution until April.

It was back in late November when Salah broke the career-long habit of speaking to reporters in a post-match mixed zone area.

Only twice previously had the Egypt captain done so, making good on promises after reaching the 40-goal mark in his first season, back in 2018, and then a little over a year later when celebrating a Champions League triumph.

So when Salah agreed to give a few minutes of his time to just a handful of publications, fresh from scoring goals 11 and 12 of the campaign, a rain-soaked St Mary's did not seem like the most obvious place for part three of his media address. Clearly, he had something he wanted the wider world to know.

“Well, we are almost in December and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club, I'm probably more out than in,” Salah conceded.

“There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands.

“As I said before, it is December and I haven't received anything yet about my future. I love the fans. The fans love me.

“In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let's wait and see.”

The comments sparked widespread debate.