Liverpool could be in store for a long, drawn-out contract saga involving Mohamed Salah, according to reports.
The Reds have had a relatively quiet summer in the transfer market up to now, with Ibrahima Konate the sole addition to date.
The club have instead focused on tying down some of their key players to longer deals.
Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all committed their futures to Liverpool in recent months.
Jordan Henderson, the club captain, could be the next player to sign on the dotted line.
Negotiations with Henderson had stalled at one point, but the other deals appear to have been rather straightforward.
The same cannot be said in the case of Salah, though, and The Times reports that Liverpool are bracing themselves for some tough talks ahead.
The Reds have begun talks with the player and his representatives as they attempt to tie the Egyptian down to a longer deal.
His current contract has just two years left to run, and Salah made noises last season hinting that he would be open to a move to La Liga.
Liverpool are prepared to hand the 29-year-old a lucrative deal that would make him the highest-paid player in the club's history.
Salah currently earns £200,000 per week at Anfield, which is £20,000 less than Salah.
The Athletic reports that the Reds want to secure the forward's future until 2025, but the aforementioned story by The Times suggests negotiations could be difficult.
Liverpool are in a tricky situation. They are right to begin talks now, rather than leaving it until Salah has just one year left on his contract.
But the club must fear that the Egyptian will refuse to sign anything in the next few months and instead keep his options open.
Salah is now into his fifth season on Merseyside, and there are no suggestions that he is unsettled.
At the same time he might want one more big challenge in his career before retirement, and Salah will be aware that he will be 33 in 2025.
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