Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is arguably having his best season at Anfield. Arne Slot has got the very most out of the Egpytian and he just keeps on scoring and creating.
But, there is a question mark hanging over Salah’s head. As it stands, he will only appear in a Liverpool shirt for a maximum of nine more games because after that, his contract is set to expire.
Will Salah sign? What has he said so far about his future? This is what we know so far. On course for more records and in the middle of a season where he is putting down numbers akin to Lionel Messi, it would be a huge boost for the Reds to see him tied down.
What has Mohamed Salah said about his future?
It was way back in November, when Liverpool had beaten Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, that Salah dropped the bombshell that he was “more out than in” at Anfield. But he wants to stay and negotiations are ongoing.
“We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club, [so] I’m probably more out than in,” Salah said. “You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end, it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future.
(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end, it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see. Of course [no offer is disappointing], yeah.
“I’m not going to retire soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I’m disappointed but we will see.”
Filming in Liverpool city center
Whenever there is any kind of hint about Salah’s future, Liverpool fans are desperate for news. It is for that reason that there was something of a social media storm regarding a picture of him being followed by a camera crew in the city.
Was it linked with an announcement about a new contract? In a word… no. It is understood that Salah was simply doing some filming for the club channels. That didn’t stop speculation mounting, though, as desperation for a positive update grows.
The Egyptian is on course to win the Premier League Golden Boot —not least after Erling Haaland’s injury — and record the most assists in the top flight. He has 44 goal involvements this term and is on course to beat the record of 47 in a Premier League season.
(Image: Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah ‘about to sign’
According to a claim from Foot Mercato, the French outlet, Salah is “about to sign” an extension with Liverpool. It says that a two-year extension will be agreed, taking his total time on Merseyside to a decade, though no salary details “have been released”.
Salah has made it absolutely clear that he wants to remain with Liverpool and there should be no doubt that the Reds need to keep him. Losing that volume of goals, when the team is set up around him, would be a nightmare.
Virgil van Dijk, of course, is in the same contract position. Losing both at the same time would be a near-impossible task to replace the pair in one summer, even with an unlimited budget.
How important is a Salah contract extension?
Quite simply, Liverpool cannot afford to lose a player who has scored more than half of its goals this season. Scoring and making decisive impacts in the final third is the most difficult thing to do on a soccer field and Salah does it regularly.
If Liverpool were to lose Salah as a focal point, it would need to sign at least two players to cover for the amount of goals that he scores. Upgrades at number nine and on either flank would be required to bridge the gap.
At the end of the season, Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to leave for Real Madrid. Keeping Salah and Van Dijk is even more important in that scenario – which has always seemed the most likely.
