Salah is in the thick of contract negotiations ahead of the end of his deal in June
The Egypt international is enjoying another prodigious season with the Reds
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By TAMARA PRENN
Published: 03:33 EST, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 03:36 EST, 12 December 2024
Jamie Carragher has named the reason why he believes Mohamed Salah will extend his contract at Liverpool beyond the end of the season.
Salah has been one of the standout players in Arne Slot's squad this campaign but the Reds could yet see the star depart when his contract expires.
Mail Sport reported last week that although the club had finally made a new contract offer to the 32-year-old, an agreement is still someway from being reached between the two parties.
Salah had earlier told a group of journalists after Liverpool's 3-2 win over Southampton that he was 'more out than in'.
But Carragher continues to be optimistic about Salah remaining at his former club, and shared his thoughts on Thursday's episode of the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
The former Liverpool star made his case for what he believed was the most important reason that 'one of the best players in the world' would stay on Merseyside.
'I love Mo Salah, he's one of the best players in the world, but the reason I say this is because of his age,' Carragher told his co-hosts. 'When you're on that type of money and you're talking about getting a raise – a raise isn't 10 or 20 grand a week.
Mohamed Salah is enjoying another strong season for Liverpool - but it could be his final one
Jamie Carragher believes the Egyptian international will remain at Anfield despite uncertainty over his future
'How many attackers doReal Madrid have,Barcelona are in dire straits financially,PSG are nowhere near the team Liverpool are – there are only four or five teams that can realistically win theChampions League and Liverpool are one of them.
'He will stay as I'm not sure there are too many options. He's not ready to go to Saudi (Arabia) – he can do that in three years' time. Salah is that driven as a footballer to win the record of most goals – or whatever that may be for Liverpool.'
One sticking point is thought to be Salah's wages, which could further limit the options available to the 32-year-old, with Carragher noting that he is 'reportedly on about £350,000 to £400,000 a week'.
'Good luck to him, he deserves it, he's one of the best players in the world and should be paid that,' the pundit continued, before calling out the player's lack of transparency over negotiations.
'But if you come out and say that the club haven't done this and the club haven't done that, then give us all (the story) and we can then we can decide (what side we're on).
'When you talk about letting a player get to this stage of their career, we all get to that stage when you're 32 or 33, and no one comes to you with 18 months to go talking about a new deal.
'My point is that we know they're in discussions, he did this two years ago where he tried to put pressure on the club.
'He's a world-renowned superstar and I'm desperate for him to stay, but I'm looking at it from the club's point of view where we don't know who's in the right or wrong.
In his maiden season, manager Arne Slot has come to rely heavily on the Egypt international
'If you want to put something out there that the club haven't offered you a contract, then tell us what you want, be transparent and we can then all pick sides.
'Me personally, I think he should stay on the same amount of money and give him a two-year deal. Now, the club might be offering him one year and he might want three – we don't know what it is. I've tried to get information from the club because I knew I'd be asked about it, but they're not giving anything away.'
Carragher said he was 'disappointed' in Salah when he dropped his contract bombshell in November, describing the Liverpool forward as 'selfish'.
Salah scored the winner in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Girona in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
The forward was nerveless from the spot as he netted the penalty that would prove the only goal in Spain, bringing his tally this season to 16 across all competitions, with a further 12 assists.