Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool deal expires in the summer of 2023, but the Egypt forward is keen to stay and has publicly put the onus on the Reds to come up with a solution that suits all parties; “I want to stay, but it’s not in my hands. It’s in their hands,” Salah told GQ.
Mohamed Salah says he is “not asking for crazy stuff” in contract talks, as he reiterated that it is up to Liverpool to decide his future. Salah, whose deal at Anfield runs out in the summer of 2023, has publicly stated on multiple occasions that he wants to stay at Liverpool.
But the two parties are yet to come to an agreement over new terms for the Premier League’s top scorer, who is currently representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“I want to stay, but it’s not in my hands. It’s in their hands,” Salah told GQ. “They know what I want. I’m not asking for crazy stuff.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports last month that the club are having “really good conversations” with Salah over a new deal.
But Salah gives the impression that there is still a hurdle to overcome in negotiations as he seeks reward for playing a leading role in Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League-winning campaigns.
He added: “The thing is, when you ask for something, and they show you they can give you something [they should] because they appreciate what you did for the club.
“I’ve been here for my fifth year now. I know the club very well. I love the fans. The fans love me. But with the administration, they have [been] told the situation. It’s in their hands.”
Sky Sports News reporter Vinny O’Connor, who covers the club closely, explains the situation…
First and foremost this is not just about money. Salah is still ambitious, with his hunger to win undiminished.
At some point, this is a Liverpool squad that will need refreshing. Roberto Firmino is now 30 years of age, Sadio Mane is 29, Jordan Henderson is 31, Thiago Alcantara is 30, Virgil van Dijk is 30, and Fabinho is 28.
Salah will want to see that there’s a continued commitment from the club to add quality to what they have got, with the intention of maintaining Liverpool’s ability to challenge for titles.
Salah is now an all-time Liverpool great as a Premier League and Champions League winner. So, in terms of the wage he can command, his market value is as high as it has ever been.
He’s been labelled as the best player in the world on current form, yet currently, he’s reportedly the fifth highest-paid footballer globally.
He was the top earner at Liverpool until Van Dijk signed his new contract. Now the figures being talked about around a new deal are in the region of £300,000 a week.
Salah’s current contract expires in 2023. It makes sense, at the age of 29, with this being potentially the biggest contract of his career, that he would want a deal that reflects his status in the game.
Source: skysports
