Mohamed Salah is close to signing a new contract at Liverpool after months of speculation.
TBR Football understand Liverpool are nearing agreements with both Salah and Virgil van Dijk – just weeks before the pair become free agents in June.
However, the same cannot be said for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Nevertheless, keeping Mohamed Salah around will be imperative for Arne Slot, after the Egypt international put up a stunning haul of 32 goals and 22 assists in 45 appearances this season, with seven games still to play.
Having said that, the Liverpool No.11 is without a goal or assist in his last four appearances for the Reds, and Richard Keys has now shared a theory involving the Egyptian.
Richard Keys thinks Mohamed Salah has relaxed after winning new contract
The beIN SPORTS pundit wrote on X (previously known as Twitter): “I think Salah must’ve signed this contract six weeks ago – he hasn’t had a kick since. It always happens when a player signs a new deal.”
I think Salah must’ve signed this contract 6 weeks ago – he hasn’t had a kick since. It always happens when a player signs a new deal. 🤷♂️😂.
— Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) April 9, 2025
Four games without a goal involvement is nothing to worry about, and remarks like the one above from Keys just goes to show how high the 32-year-old has set the bar this season, and beyond.
However, we have seen instances of players falling off after signing lucrative contract extensions.
That is exactly what happened to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal, after the Gabon international penned a new three-year contract in September 2020 at the age of 31, only slightly younger than Salah is now.
What happened to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal?
The man from Laval had just scored 29 goals in 44 games across the 2019/20 campaign to earn the £350,000-a-week deal, including a winner in the FA Cup final over Chelsea.
However, Aubameyang then scored just ten goals in 29 Premier League games the following season, before he fell out with Mikel Arteta in the 2021/22 campaign and saw his £350,000-a-week contract terminated.
It would be a real shock if the same ended up happening to Salah at Liverpool, although stranger things have happened.
