“I’m sorry” – Paul Merson names player Liverpool should sell between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane 

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has stated that he believes Liverpool should do all they can to hold on to Mohamed Salah, even if that means losing Sadio Mane.

The two men have played a key role in helping the Reds climb back to the summit of the game but will both be out of contract next year.

Attention has turned to how Liverpool will manage the situation and whose contract they should prioritize extending.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Merson believes the 2020 Premier League champions should do all they can to extend the Egyptian's contract with the club.

“I couldn’t let Salah go. I’m sorry, I couldn’t let Salah go. I just think that the lad is on a different planet to a lot of players at the moment, a lot of players.”

Sadio Mane joined Liverpool from Southampton in the summer of 2016 and has been instrumental for Jurgen Klopp's side. The Senegal international has scored 107 goals and provided 44 assists in 244 games in all competitions for the Merseyside giants.

Mohamed Salah joined a year later and had one of the most spectacular debut seasons in footballing history.

The former Chelsea man broke several records during the 2017-18 season, eventually scoring 44 goals in 52 appearances to make his £43m transfer from Roma look like the biggest bargain buy of the century.

Since then, he has grown from strength to strength and is now widely regarded as one of the very best players in history.

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Liverpool have to make a decision on Mane and Salah's futures soon

Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah

As already indicated, Mane and Salah will both be out of contract in the summer of 2023, making it imperative for the Reds to make a decision on their futures. A failure to do so could see the club run the risk of losing both men on a free transfer to a rival club.

Considering the two players' pedigree, there would be no shortage of suitors were the Reds to fail to tie them down to new deals.

However, a potential snag could be their advancing ages. Sadio Mane will turn 30 in April, while Salah will enter his third decade on earth in August.

Liverpool's recent transfer policies seem to favor investing in the long-term, with new acquisitions like Harvey Elliot, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Ibrahima Konate all burtressing this.

It remains to be seen whether the Anfield outfit will prioritize renewing one of both players' contracts but it cannot be argued that both Mane and Salah still have a lot to offer.