Ashley Cole has fallen into familar trap as Liverpool and Mohamed Salah decision should be clear

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was a shock signing for many in 2017 and by the end of his debut campaign was labeled a one-season wonder. Another one hundred and sixty seven goals later, though, the Egyptian is still going strong and has proven himself as one of the biggest ever transfer bargains.

Even now, though, he is still being underrated. Speaking to Match Attax on TikTok, former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has become the latest person to fall into that familiar trap. Asked to pick between Salah and Bukayo Saka, Cole replied: "Now or in their prime? Alright, I’m going to go with Saka."

Last season, both Salah and Saka notched 14 assists in all competitions (and the former would have had a few more had Darwin Nunez not been quite so profligate). The Egyptian, while playing three fewer games because of injury, also scored five more goal (25 vs 20).

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So why is the perception that Saka has overtaken the Egyptian? The Arsenal man is English, which always plays into those conversations in the UK, while he is also younger and therefore more fresh.

Salah has been doing what he is doing for years and is taken for granted as a result. Meanwhile, Arsenal as a team performed better than Liverpool last season and therefore picked up more attention, particularly as the final matches played out. That recency bias no doubt plays into things too.

The reality is, though, that Salah's importance to Liverpool remains enormous. His numbers are still the best of any of the forwards that Arne Slot will inherit and he is still up there with the very best in the world in his position.

Salah might lack the searing pace that he used to have and Saka might have the edge there, but when it comes to decisive moments in the final third, there is only one winner. The Liverpool man still has the greater influence.

That won't be the case forever but even if Saka does overtake Salah next season, there is still enough reason for Liverpool to hand its number 11 a new deal this summer. With only 12 months left on his contract, there is a decision to be made.

As well as being the most potent of the Liverpool attackers, though, Salah is also a hugely valuable asset. He isn't going anywhere this summer but losing him on a free in 2025 would seem unwise.

While it makes sense economically to sign him up to an extension, for the time being, it also makes sense on a purely footballing basis too. Saka might be the newer forward on the scene, but he still has a way to go before he can be considered as being above Salah's level. That numbers bear that out — and also explain why a new deal for the Egpytian is a must.