'You realise it's stupid we are even having a conversation about him potentially leaving the club - he was excellent against Bournemouth' Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future back under the microscope following 'stupidity' comments of him leaving

AFC Bournemouth’s demolition of Nottingham Forest finally made pundits sit up and take notice but the Premier League leaders came away from the Vitality Stadium with an important win on Saturday.

Liverpool beat Bournemouth 2-0 to strengthen their hold on top spot with the Cherries among the teams looking to close the gap.

Mohammed Salah was the star of the show once more, scoring from the penalty spot to put the Reds in front and adding a pearler to finish the game off with quarter of an hour to go.

Mohamed Salah for Liverpool against Bournemouth: ‘He was excellent’

BBC Sport’s Team of the Week selector Troy Deeney unsurprisingly nominated Salah in his XI this week along with Nottingham Forest duo Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood.

In his explanation, Deeney made reference to the ongoing doubts over the Egyptian’s Anfield future.

“The reason for Liverpool winning the game. Salah’s penalty and then an unbelievable finish,” wrote Deeney.

“The second goal, you know he was going to go with that left foot but you just can’t stop it. It was real quality.

“It was one of those moments where you realise it is stupid we are even having a conversation about him potentially leaving the club. He was excellent.”

There is indeed a conversation about Salah leaving Liverpool, and while it appears stupid at first glance, there’s more to it than a simple assessment of his undeniable impact for his team this season.

Liverpool aren’t subtly ushering their main man into an airlock and waiting for the end of the season so they can blast him into the endless blackness of outer space with his second Premier League winner’s medal.

Salah is 32 years old, out of contract in the summer, and in exceptional form in the Premier League and Champions League.

Arne Slot and Liverpool want him to stay but his negotiating position is a powerful one. It’s obvious he has much more to offer but Salah will understandably demand a deal that takes him into his mid-thirties and is at least competitive financially with the offers he’ll get from the Saudi Pro League.

Those offers might also allow Salah to travel to work from his home in Egypt. If nothing else, that’s another card he can slap down on the negotiating table for the contract terms he wants at Anfield.

Liverpool would miss Salah if he were to leave and they remain his best footballing fit, but it should be noted that his contract situation doesn’t necessarily mean his time at the club is over, nor does it mean Liverpool don’t want him.

The conversation about him leaving might be stupid but the circumstances behind it are normal and justifiable. Nobody at Liverpool doubts Salah’s excellence.