Liverpool could lose Mohamed Salah for an extended period of time next season through his potential commitments with the Egyptian national team, according to The Athletic. 

What could happen to Salah next season? 

They claim Egypt are keen to take Salah as one of their designated overage players for the Olympics in Tokyo in July and, while the club do not have to release him, they are said to be aware the player would be keen to do so. 

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Should that happen, the forward would reportedly miss most of the club's pre-season schedule and wouldn't return to Merseyside until a week before next season starts if his country were to make the final. 

The delayed African Cup of Nations is also due to take place in January 2022 and runs until February 6th. 

What could Liverpool do about this? 

The report also reveals that a final decision on Salah's potential participation in the Olympics will be taken between the forward and manager Jurgen Klopp. 

Those talks are yet to take place and there isn't believed to be any pressure to rush into them at this stage. 

How have Liverpool performed without Salah? 

The club's leading goalscorer again this season, Salah has barely missed a game since moving to Anfield in 2017. 

Liverpool did manage to beat Leicester City 3-0 in the Premier League without him in November though the options outside of him look reasonably bleak on current form. No other player in the squad has hit double figures this season and Sadio Mane could also be away at the African Cup Nations at the same time, potentially depriving Klopp of two of his three most prolific goalscorers this season, alongside Diogo Jota. 

Clearly, there is a transfer window to come this summer, so perhaps the club will move to strengthen their attacking ranks. 

What is the latest transfer news involving Salah? 

In April, ESPN claimed there was a 'growing sense' within the Liverpool squad that Salah would like to test himself elsewhere. Indeed, Dean Jones of the Touchline Talk Podcast recently revealed the £99m-rated star (via Transfermarkt) had instructed his agents to see if gaps could open at other clubs this summer too. 

"I know that Salah is looking, he's got his intermediaries sounding people out to see whether gaps are to open up at other clubs," he said. 

Back in December, he told Spanish outlet AS that his future was in Liverpool's hands. 

"I think Madrid and Barcelona are top clubs," he said.

"Right now I can say that everything is in the club's hands."