Mohamed Salah wants to stay at Liverpool even though he hasn’t yet agreed a new deal.
That’s according to Reds legend Michael Owen, who believes that the club should alter their contract policy to keep hold of the Egyptian.
As it stands, Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season once his current deal at Anfield expires on June 30.
He is yet to agree to new terms amid a potential final season at the club in which he has scored a stunning 32 goals in 43 matches.
However, ex-Liverpool striker Owen believes the 32-year-old wants to extend his stay, as long as Liverpool make one key change.
“Mo Salah’s an interesting one. I think Mo Salah wants to stay, in fact I’m pretty sure he wants to stay,” he told talkSPORT.
“I think Liverpool are going to have to bend the rules slightly, they might say, ‘Oh right, only two years for players of this age.’
“But he’s no normal player, he’s as fit as a flea, he’s dedicated, he lives in the gym, he’s so profeSsional. You can’t tell me that he’s not going to be at the same level in three, four years.
“I mean, he’s just unbelievable, so I would bend the rules, I would give him the contract, the length of contract.
“I’m also not that type of person, a fan that says, ‘Just give him what he wants, he’s brilliant, we’ll win the league with him.’ No, because you can’t put your club at risk, but I don’t think it’s got to that stage.
“To replace him, it’s going to cost an awful lot more, you’re not going to pay a transfer fee for him.
“So I would do whatever it takes to keep him, and I think he wants to stay, but sources tell me that they’re still quite a way apart.”
Salah joined Liverpool in 2017 and has since become one of the greatest players in the club’s history, scoring a total of 243 goals so far.
He has won three Premier League Golden Boots, with a fourth set to come this season as he currently sits on 27 goals.
A Premier League, Champions League and multiple domestic trophy winner, Salah could call time on a stunning eight-year stay at Anfield.
The winger is one of three big-name players whose futures remain unanswered ahead of their pending contract expirations.
One of those is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks all but set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer.
talkSPORT understands that Real Madrid are increasingly confident of their chances to sign Alexander-Arnold with the player verbally agreeing a move, although nothing has yet been confirmed.
And Owen, who left Liverpool to sign for Real Madrid in 2004, believes Alexander-Arnold should follow his heart when deciding whether to stay or leave Merseyside.
“Does he want to stay at Liverpool? He’s been there, seen it, done it, won everything, got the t-shirt,” Owen said.
“He could retire at the club and be an all-time legend, will be an all-time legend. I mean, he’s contributed so much to that club, he’s come through the ranks.
“Nobody can doubt his loyalty or anything else like that. And he could play out his days and he’s still in a successful team. Liverpool are still absolutely one of the best teams in Europe, of course, going to go on to win the league as well this season. I mean, it’s not a bad choice.
“My choice, when I was in that situation, we weren’t quite as good as the current Liverpool team in terms of we weren’t quite as dominant.
“But it is a similar thing, no question about it. The other alternative, of course, is he can be sitting there thinking, I’ve done everything, I’ve achieved absolutely everything at my boyhood.
“Who can deny me a chance to go and play for one of the biggest teams in the world, a new experience, a new country, new language, new weather, new food, new everything? And what a team.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also has an uncertain future at the Premier League leaders and stands to leave in the summer along with Salah and Alexander-Arnold.
The Dutchman is of interest to Saudi Arabia, but hasn’t responded to them and is focused on contract discussions at the Reds.
