Liverpool are refusing to give anything away over their prolonged contract negotiations with Mo Salah, with Jamie Carragher revealing what he’s been told after speaking directly to the club – though a Sky Sports presenter has offered words of encouragement that an agreement could soon be announced.
The Egyptian has proved one of Liverpool‘s greatest-ever signings after amassing an incredible 227 goals and 100 assists for the Reds in 371 appearances since a bargain move from Roma in summer 2017. With a tally that currently stands at a goal contribution every 1.13 appearances, Salah’s form this season appears to have found another level with the 32-year-old claiming an incredible 16 goals and 12 assists from 22 outings so far.
However, with his deal due to expire at the end of the season, Salah is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club of his choice from January 1 – just 20 days from now.
Thankfully, though, Salah is very much likely to pass up that chance and the player’s priority remains on signing a new deal at Anfield, though the two parties are yet to agree on terms.
Sky Sports pundit Carragher recently went on record to claim Salah was “selfish” for going public on those negotiations, though. Now the former Reds defender has shared the silent treatment given to him by club officials when he asked for a little inside information on how those talks with their Egyptian king were progressing.
“Me personally, I think he should stay on the same money, and give him a two-year deal,” Carragher said on the Stick to Football podcast.
“Now, the club might be offering him one he might want three, I don’t know what it is, and I’ve tried to get information from the club, I’ll be honest with you, because I knew I was going to get asked about it. But the club are not giving anything.
“There’s always this game and the club might feed something to a local journalist that he wants this much. The club have not said a word, no one knows a word and rightly so, that’s the way it should be done.”
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While Liverpool are exactly right to keep those negotiations quiet and behind closed doors, there is optimism growing that a new deal can soon be agreed with their talismanic star.
And sources have told TEAMtalk that there remains optimism that a new deal can be agreed with the player after they were given a strong indication that he wants to continue at Liverpool beyond this season and despite those cheeky “more out than in” comments made by the player earlier this month.
Certainly, those talks over a new deal are understood to be progressing well and senior Sky Sports News presenter Melissa Reddy has declared that the player will continue to be Liverpool’s highest earner if he pens a fresh term, irrespective of what Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are offered.
In effect, Reddy was stating the defensive duo won’t be offered as much money as Salah, even if Salah is the first one to sign.
“He [Salah] has made it abundantly clear that he wants to remain at Liverpool,” said Reddy on the Transfer Talk podcast. “And that is a very good position for the club to be in, in terms of these negotiations.
“Now, given Salah’s form, you do have the course of giving what he wants, but that is never how a negotiation starts. And I do know they’re getting closer in terms of discussing the structure of payments.
“He is the highest earner at the club, and he will continue to be the highest earner at the club even after these negotiations because of his form and worth beyond the pitch, deserves it.
“But it’s that how much of his payment is fixed, how much is variable based on performances, does he want to or do the club want to switch that balance because of his age?
“Then it is trying to protect against any dip in form and contract length. Is it a player option? Is it a dual mutual option? These are taxing things.
“And then you have to throw into the equation, Salah’s image rights, which is unlike what it is for any other player at the club, he is a commercial behemoth, especially when it comes to markets that Liverpool don’t ordinarily touch, like the Middle East.
“So I do know that from both parties side, they want to get it sorted. Salah would like to get it sorted soon, incredibly soon, he would have preferred if it was already done and dusted, given his frustrations being made public.”
Latest Liverpool news: Man City teenager signs; Alexander-Arnold concern
Meanwhile, Liverpool have raided Manchester City to bolster their academy by signing hugely-promising 16-year-old defender Lucas Clarke.
The left-footer, who has big things expected of him, moves into the Reds academy from City and posted a simple 12-word message upon signing for the Merseysiders.
Perhaps Liverpool’s most famous academy graduate of recent years, Trent Alexander-Arnold, is very much in the news of late owing to interest in his services from Real Madrid and with his deal due to expire at the end of the season.
Now reports from Spain claim there is now confidence from the reigning European champions that a deal for the right-back remains on course with claims emerging when his possible pre-contract agreement to move to the Bernabeu will be announced.
Elsewhere, another star strongly linked with a move away from Anfield, goalkeeper Caiomhin Kelleher, has once again been linked with a move away and a former Reds star has tipped the Irishman to make a £30m move across the Premier League to one of the Reds’ title rivals.
Salah and his incredible Liverpool record down the years
2017-18 Goals 44 Assists 15 2018-19 Goals 27 Assists 10 2019-20 Goals 23 Assists 13 2020-21 Goals 31 Assists 6 2021-22 Goals 31 Assists 15 2022-23 Goals 30 Assists 16 2023-24 Goals 25 Assists 14 2024-25 Goals 16 Assists 12
Mohamed Salah’s stats over the seasons for Liverpool