Mohamed Salah reportedly rejected the chance to become the second-highest paid player on the planet by staying at Liverpool.
After months of speculation, endless teasing interviews and mounting desperation from a fanbase already consigned to losing one of their own, Salah appears to be on the verge of extending his stay on Merseyside.
Numerous outlets were briefed on Wednesday afternoon that a breakthrough had been made in negotiations surrounding a new deal for the prolific Egyptian and his teammate Virgil van Dijk before both become free agents this summer.
The thought process surrounding Salah's uncertain future has been complicated by competing offers. Several European suitors have been keen to provide the 32-year-old with a new home this summer while Saudi Pro League clubs represent an ever-present offer of untold riches.
Egyptian journalist Ismael Mahmoud revealed that Salah would have been able to earn an annual salary of 150m (�128.5m) had he moved to Saudi Arabia this summer. That is the equivalent of roughly �2.5m per week - more than seven times the �350,000 weekly wage he is said to earn this season. Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo is the only football player on the planet who reportedly earns more than the proposed figures offered to Salah.
Mahmoud goes on to reveal that Salah's expected salary is set to be �400,000 per week in his new Liverpool deal.
The Athletic claim that the team's perennial top scorer is on the cusp of signing a new two-year agreement, preventing this season's saga from repeating itself next term while offering both the player and Liverpool some protection.
That there are even discussions over a new deal for Salah represents a shift in policy for Liverpool, who have previously operated under the strict guidelines of not offering players over 30 new contracts.
Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold - who is poised to join Real Madrid - are not the only Liverpool players in the midst of contractual negotiations. Centre-back Ibrahima Konate is thought to be pushing for a significant pay-bump of his own, with the 25-year-old angling for a weekly salary in the region of �200,000 - up from his current pay-packet of �80,000.
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