Liverpool have reportedly accepted that Mohamed Salah will leave Anfield for free next season as the club are unwilling to break their wage structure to secure the Egyptian’s long-term future.

With Sadio Mane in the same predicament and having looked to force through a move to Bayern Munich, it has not helped quell talk around the Egypt star’s future, but it appears as though the Reds have now resigned themselves to losing him when his contract runs out in a year’s time.

According to the Mirror, Liverpool feel they have taken negotiations with their man over a new deal as far as they can without breaking their wage structure.

Salah – who joined the Reds from Roma five years ago – had reportedly been holding out for a salary-doubling £400,000 a week, just as Sadio Mane had done.

If Salah does move on at the end of 2022-23, there’s no denying that it will mark the end of an era at Anfield.

But the Reds have shown time and time again with their recruitment that they’re always thinking about the future – not least when it comes to their frontline.

That much has been clear over the past six months with the acquisitions of Luis Diaz in January and marquee summer arrival Darwin Nunez – who signed from Benfica this week in a deal which could be worth a club-record £85 million.

Portugal U21 international Fabio Carvalho will also become a Liverpool player on 1 July after his contract at Fulham expires.

And even if next season is Salah’s last for Jurgen Klopp’s side, there should be no danger of him letting his standards slip; he is a model professional who always seems to be striving for the next level of greatness.