Mohamed Salah has been told he "holds all the trump cards" in his contract stand-off with Liverpool
Mohamed Salah during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on December 4, 2024 (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah has been told he "holds all the trump cards" in his contract stand-off with Liverpool. But former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson believes the 13-goal top scorer will have to compromise to stay on Merseyside beyond the end of his current deal.
Salah is out of contract at the end of the season and is free to speak to clubs outside of England about moving on a free transfer next summer when the transfer window opens on January 1.
Speaking to a handful of publications that included the ECHO outside of St Mary's after his two goals helped the Reds beat Southampton 3-2 last month, Salah revealed he has yet to be offered a formal extension by the club he has represented with distinction since 2017.
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Salah, who began the weekend's Premier League action as the top scorer in the division, is understood to be desperate to stay put on Merseyside, but there has been no imminent sign of a contract breakthrough with Liverpool, despite his superb form this term.
Dawson, who made 286 Premier League appearances, thinks Salah is well positioned over contract talks with his club but says the Egyptian still might have to relent on his demands if he does want to stay on Merseyside beyond a deal that was signed in the summer of 2022.
"I think he's been pretty open, if he wanted to leave, he'd just keep quiet, let his contract run down and at the end of the season - finished, it's job done," Dawson told Sky Sports.
"It's him who is coming out and talking about it, so it's like he instigating it [saying]: 'Look, you know what I want' which is obviously the length of his contract and obviously the amount of money he wants
"His demands, Liverpool aren't going to pay, so they're going to have to meet in the middle grounds if he wants to stay. That is it, clean and simple. Liverpool surely don't want him to leave, you cannot let Mo Salah go.
"However, I hear people say 'give him what he wants'. We don't know the exact figures. It must be crazy money, he is on crazy money anyway."
Dawson added: "So they will have to meet in the middle ground. We all went in when we wanted a new contract but we didn't always get what we wanted. He holds all the trump cards, he really, really does.
"So it's down to him. Liverpool will say 'we'll offer you X (amount of money), we'll give you so long on the contract, it's now up to you because we're not willing to pay what you want.'
"And that has to be it (the reason for the impasse) because his figures already, he scored 18 goals in the Premier League last year, he's already on 13. It's ridiculous. It really, really is. His numbers for me, just blow me away.
"And there are times when you watch him and you think: 'Wow, you're quiet'. He can drift in and out of games then you have a little bit of magic which gives you a different side.
"Trent Alexander-Arnold against Manchester City, he gets his head up and he knows he can put the ball in behind and say 'go on Mo, I'll put you in' and the ball from the halfway line. It was an attack and a goal, he puts it on a plate for Cody Gakpo.
"I think he's an incredible player and he has been for years and years. But if he is to stay at Liverpool, he is going to have to accept as well, it is not all going to be on his terms. It is impossible that it can all be all on his terms."