Earlier this week football insider Fabrizio Romano reported that Mohamed Salah was close to signing a contract extension with Liverpool. On Friday the news became official, and Salah’s new contract keeps him with the Reds until 2027 and by then he will be 35 years old and likely on his way out of the Premier League. He reportedly rejected offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia that would have likely paid him astronomical amounts of money to make the switch.
Salah started his Premier League journey with Chelsea back in 2013 which seems like a lifetime ago but that is not why this news should interest Blues supporters. Liverpool have been linked with a number of exciting forwards and wingers that were possibly seen as replacements for Salah had he decided to leave the club after a very successful 8-year period.
One such player that could have fit that bill is Real Madrid forward Rodrygo Goes who primarily operates on the right wing like Salah but also plays as a striker at times. Salah is officially a right winger but often plays a central role in attack and operates as the tip of the spear, similar to Rodrygo.
According to several news outlets, Chelsea are preparing a £120 million bid for Rodrygo’s services this summer as the Brazilian is looking for a team where he can get more minutes. He has seen his starts dwindle after the arrival of Mbappe and the emergence other options at Real. Liverpool are one of the clubs noted as being interested in him as well but that might change with Salah signing an extension.
The Reds are reportedly in the market for replacements for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez so Chelsea will have to battle them for other players but this may open the door for a Rodrygo switch from Madrid to London. Chelsea are in dire need of more creativity and goal scoring from the wings and the Brazilian dynamo provides just that. He has 50 goals and 27 assists over his last 3 seasons with Madrid and wont turn 25 until January 2026.
While we are not pleased that we have to deal with Mohamed Salah for at least the next two seasons in the Premier League it may be worth it if a player like Rodrygo becomes that much more available. There will undoubtedly be other clubs interested in him but removing another big money rival is potentially great news for the Blues.