Liverpool and Egyptian international Mohamed Salah have been in ongoing talks since last summer.
Reports are circulating that an offer has been made, but terms have not been agreed, and he is already less than six months away from leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
The club are said to want to extend his contract and the player is said to be keen to stay at Anfield, but Liverpool are also concerned about Egyptian King’s age, who turns 33 this June, and are reluctant to make an attractive offer as they cannot rule out the possibility of a rapid decline.
Egyptian journalist Ahmed Atta revealed the details surrounding Salah’s contract negotiations and expressed his negative opinion of the owners, saying that the terms offered by Liverpool are far below his current salary and are not commensurate with his captivating performances and leadership on and off the pitch.
“But it looks like he had some reasonable reasons [to speak out publicly] because the information I found out recently is that Liverpool made him just one formal offer,”
“It was like, we can say it’s like one month ago or one month and a half and it was less than what he’s getting now, not more or not even equal to what’s getting now.”
“So it’s a big surprise me to be honest. I won’t say I’m a big fan of Salah.”
“I was always irritated by his repeatedly talking about such things [contract matters]. But now he is convincing me that he has a very reasonable and convincing reason to talk about it. With such talent, with such performance and such influence in this team, he has all the reason to at least, at least have the same salary as he’s gaining now.”
“But surprisingly, what I know now is that recently, he got a formal offer with less than not, not even close, by the way, not even close to his current salary. So, I don’t know what Liverpool’s administration are thinking in Liverpool’s boardroom. I’m not sure what they have in mind.”
Anfield Watch
If the testimonies are true, the Merseyside club will be unwilling to pay the current salary amount at all costs. This probably applies to Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk as well, with the veteran facing a difficult negotiation.
Meanwhile, it would be chilling to think that Liverpool would be without their goal- and assist-producing Egyptian winger, as they continue to steadily climb to the top of the table this season. With so few match-winning forwards available, it goes without saying that he would be a valuable asset.
Will Mohamed Salah be able to agree a new contract with Liverpool or will he leave for another league, such as Saudi Arabia?