Liverpool 'certain' to offer Mohamed Salah new despite star's transfer exit hint

Posted Wednesday, December 23, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Liverpool have been backed to offer Mohamed Salah a big-money contract extension to stay at Anfield amid links to Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Mohamed Salah will definitely be offered a new contract by Liverpool in an attempt to kill off talk of a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid, according to reports. The Reds winger teased a move to one of La Liga's two biggest clubs in an interview with Spanish outlet AS recently.

Salah said: "I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs. Who knows what will happen in the future, but right now I am focused on winning the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool again.

"That's a tough question, but right now I can say that everything is in the hands of the club. Of course I want to break records here and, I repeat, all the club records, but everything is in the hands of the club."

The Egyptian has been a massive hit for Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017 and has scored 110 goals and laid on 45 assists in 173 appearances, including 16 in 21 games this term and 13 in 13 Premier League games.

Salah is under contract with the English champions until the summer of 2023 on a £200,000-a-week deal that makes him the highest paid player at the club.

Liverpool 'certain' to offer Mohamed Salah blockbuster new contract to end transfer fears (Image: GETTY)

But according to Goal, sources say the Reds are certain to offer him an extension, particularly in light of speculation he could head to Spain.

Though the attacker turns 29 in June, his outstanding output means Liverpool are said to be guaranteed not just to offer him a new deal, but an improved one too.

No player has ever been paid more Salah's current pay-packet but he has certainly repaid his salary with his consistently crucial contributions at Anfield.

Salah is said to know that he is admired by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain if he does opt to reject a new deal in order for a fresh challenge elsewhere.

He also declared that he was "unhappy" not to be named captain against FC Midtjylland in the Champions League, when Trent Alexander-Arnold instead led out the team.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said in response to the player's comments: "There's nothing to say from my side about that. All fine from my side."

And Sky Sports pundit and Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Salah has always had goals of going to another league and recreating the form he has managed at Liverpool.

He said: "I thought Salah would always leave Liverpool, I said that a couple of years ago, maybe it was a little bit premature at the time, saying I thought he'd leave in the next 18 months.

"I just always had the feeling that he would want to go and explore playing in a different country and he would have aspirations to do so.

"So it doesn't surprise me. The reason I think I'e always chosen Salah over Mane is Salah, it's just cold-blooded.

"Mane's a team player, you know Mane would put the team first, and Salah is cold-blooded and that's not a negative.

"That makes Liverpool, I think, vicious as a team because I think he's the type that will just go and do it again, and again, and again, and again, and not stop.

"That's why the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, whoever it is that is after him, is probably in his ear.

"He's got two and a half years left on his contract. I don’t think Liverpool at this moment in time, they certainly won’t be forced to sell, they won't be messed around.

"I think they've got a strength and that authority now, Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp that they can just sit there and just relax a little bit.

Liverpool 'certain' to offer Mohamed Salah blockbuster new contract to end transfer fears (Image: GETTY)

"But there will come a point in the next six months, 18 months about what to do with him, because if he's not going to sign a new contract you’ve either got to let his contract run down, which they won't do, or they'll cash in and see an opportunity to bring in someone else."

But Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said: "I think even when Man Utd were top dogs and Ronaldo went to Real Madrid, it did still feel like a step up in some ways because Real Madrid is Real Madrid.

"But I just think the two Spanish giants now have fallen so far, I really do. I think Salah has got two and a half years to go, I'm not really looking at it as too much of a problem, because Real Madrid spent a lot of money on Hazard at that age, 28, 29.

"I think Salah is just getting to that age now and I think if you want to spend real big money on someone you want them to be 25, 26 to get that really value for them.

"I think if he did go, I don't see it, it would be massive money for Liverpool but I think his time right now has sort of gone."