Michael Owen has offered a theory as to why Liverpool haven’t offered Mohamed Salah a contract extension, with time running out to agree new terms.
Salah has once again been in sensational form this season, recording 12 goals and 10 assists in 19 appearances under Arne Slot.
He did miss a penalty in the 2-0 win over Real Madrid midweek, but will look to bounce back on Sunday against Manchester City, when Liverpool will have the chance to go 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League.
However, there is a dark cloud hanging over Anfield, as three key Reds players are out of contract next summer and seemingly no closer to agreeing new deals.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with Real Madrid while captain Virgil van Dijk has remained coy on his future, but Salah has teased several times that this season could be his last at Liverpool.
Last Sunday, after the 3-2 win at Southampton, the Egyptian claimed: ‘I haven’t received an offer to stay yet so I am probably more out than in,’ and stated he was ‘disappointed’ by the lack of dialogue with the club.
He’s consistently been linked with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League and foreign clubs will be able to negotiate with the forward from January 1 if a deal is not agreed.
Salah finds himself in a similar predicament to Owen, who opted not to extend his contract with Liverpool in 2004, instead making an ill-fated transfer to Real Madrid.
The lure of the Galacticos was too much to resist for the ex-England striker, while Liverpool at the time were struggling to dethrone the Premier League and Champions League elite.
Owen believes there is one simple reason why negotiations have stalled between player and club, telling Optus Sport: ‘My inkling, and I might be wrong, but what I hear is that Mo Salah is wanting a longer-term contract.
‘When you’re young, you want short contracts, keep the desirability, keep them short and keep everybody wanting you. When you’re older of course you want stability and you want to be secure.’
Salah turns 33 next summer, so it’s understandable why Liverpool would be hesitant to give him a long-term contract even though he’s a club legend and their best player.
‘He’s very different – he’s as fit as fiddle and he’s still banging them in. But if he’s going in [to negotiations] and asking for five years then rightly so the club will think that’s too long,’ Owen added.
Will Mo Salah leave Liverpool next summer?
‘So maybe they’re not even sitting down because Mo has said “Well I’m not going to talk to you if you are not going to give you five years”, let’s say.
‘And I don’t know entirely but my sources tell me it’s more of a term problem.
‘One thing that Mo Salah has got the head start on is he’s just done that interview and straight away the fans are going to be thinking, “What are you doing, Liverpool Football Club”.’
This article was first published on November 26, 2024.
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