Another factor to consider in the Trent contract situation is that his agent brother, Tyler Alexander-Arnold, would stand to pocket significantly more money by brokering a deal with Madrid than by negotiating a contract extension with Liverpool.

If he joins Madrid with no transfer fee, his signing-on fee would be huge. Add that to weekly wages and he'd be set to earn £600k or more per week for the duration of his contract.

IF he joins Madrid, that would be a big determining factor for he and his brother/agent.

Liverpool's turnover this season will smash previous record and will come close to the £700m mark. In my view, therefore, Liverpool can afford to retain a player they can't afford to lose.

The cost of signing someone that comes close to Mo's level is likely to top £100m next summer. Surely, a two-three year extension for Mo would make better financial sense than huge money replacement.

Whatever the situation, optics are clearly not good, and I daresay Salah's comments were made due to frustration at the lack of progress.