Liverpool FC are still negotiating with Mohamed Salah about a new contract to avoid a “dangerous” situation at the end of the 2021-22 season, according to Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano.
The Egypt international has been one of the Premier League’s standout players in the current campaign following an incredible return of 13 goals and nine assists in 14 appearances in the English top flight.
Salah is producing some of the most impressive performances of his Liverpool FC career after rekindling his very best form under Jurgen Klopp as the Reds look to challenge Manchester City and Chelsea FC for the Premier League title.
The 29-year-old has little over 18 months left to run on his current deal to raise serious questions about whether Liverpool FC could lose Salah in a cut-price deal next summer or on a free transfer at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Liverpool FC have reportedly been in negotiations with the former Chelsea FC winger for a number of months but the six-time European champions haven’t yet been able to reach an agreement with the Egyptian forward.
Salah recently reiterated that he wants to stay at Liverpool FC and claimed that his future rests in the hands of the Merseyside outfit to put the pressure back on the club.
Italian reporter Romano has now provided an update on negotiations between Salah and Liverpool FC ahead of the January transfer window.
“Many people were thinking Mo wanted to put some pressure on the board of Liverpool or something like this,” Romano told the Here We Go podcast this week.
“Mo said basically he’s happy at Liverpool and he wants to stay in the Premier League but it’s not just up to him, it’s up to the club to offer him the right contract.
“So what’s going on? The Liverpool board, Jurgen Klopp and everyone at the club wants to keep Mo Salah. That’s 100 per cent sure. It’s [been] the priority of Liverpool for months and months. At the same time, Salah will be 30 in the coming months and he wants an important contract because it will be his last ‘super’ contract of his career. That is why Salah is still negotiating with Liverpool.
“At the moment, the negotiation is about a financial point – his salary. He wants a huge salary. They’ve been negotiating since last summer but now it’s time to enter the final stages of the negotiation. Liverpool know if they arrive in May or June with Salah still not signing his new deal there will be a problem because he’ll be out of contract in 2023.
“It’ll be a dangerous situation for Liverpool.”
Salah has scored 145 goals in 224 games in all competitions over the past four-and-a-half seasons since his £40m move to Liverpool FC from AS Roma in the 2017 summer transfer window.
The Liverpool FC forward insisted earlier this week that he remains committed to the club despite transfer speculation suggesting FC Barcelona could attempt to sign Salah in a cut-price deal.
“I said it several times, if the decision is up to me, I want to stay in Liverpool,” Salah told Egyptian broadcaster MBC Masr TV, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo. “But the decision is in the hands of the management and they have to solve this issue.
“There is no problem but we have to reach an agreement for the contract. It’s up to them.
“Your financial value shows how much the club appreciates you and that they are ready to do anything for you to stay, but the decision itself is not based on those financial matters only.
“There are things like the ambition of the team and the coach and what he wants to do with the team and the players he wants. These are all important points when making the decision.”
