Mohamed Salah would accept a new one-year contract at Liverpool but is growing increasingly exasperated at the club’s handling of negotiations.
The forward is still waiting for Liverpool to reveal its position in relation to the length and terms of any potential deal, amid interest from top European clubs in signing him on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The Egypt international has not entered any discussions with other clubs as his contract does not permit him to do so, but that will change from January 1, when Salah is entitled to sign a pre-contract agreement with a club outside England.
The Athletic has spoken to multiple sources with knowledge of the current situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity owing to the confidentiality of the talks. Liverpool declined to comment.
A report in the French publication L’Equipe on Sunday linked Salah with a move to Paris Saint Germain, but the Ligue 1 champions have denied they are in talks.
Liverpool have consistently maintained that discussions with Salah, through his representative Ramy Abbas, have been positive and are still ongoing. But Salah is frustrated at the pace of talks and unconvinced the club will meet his expectations on terms.
After helping Liverpool defeat Southampton last month, he said he was “probably more out than in” and admitted he was “disappointed” that a formal contract offer had not been made.
GO DEEPER
‘I’m more out than in’: What Salah’s latest comments mean for his Liverpool future
The forward’s priority is to extend his stay at Anfield and he is not agitating to leave. Even in that interview after the Southampton match, he was at pains to stress his “love” for Liverpool.
Yet he also believes he is amongst the best players in the world and the terms of any new deal should reflect that status, and his performance levels this season.
Salah has scored 13 goals in Liverpool’s 20 games across all competitions this season, delivering 11 assists. His latest contribution was to set up Cody Gakpo for the opening goal against Manchester City on Sunday, and then score a second-half penalty that sealed a 2-0 win.
That result sent Liverpool nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table, and 11 ahead of City, a club that has pipped them to the title twice on the final day of the season twice since Salah arrived at Anfield in 2017.
Salah scored a 13th goal of the season on Sunday (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
His current contract makes him the highest paid player in Liverpool’s history. In 2022, he agreed a three-year contract extension that was widely reported to be worth £350,000-a-week in basic salary, but Salah earns well in excess of that, particularly once performance-related bonuses are taken into account.
Salah believes he is approaching his peak and will maintain his levels. He is desperate to win the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool this season.
He will be 33 next summer but he does not think age will be a barrier to also achieving his ambition of winning the Ballon d’Or. Until this year, when it was awarded to City midfielder Rodri at the age of 28, it had not been won by a player under the age of 31 since 2015 when Lionel Messi, at the same age as Rodri, won the title.
Until the start of this season, Salah was not approached by Liverpool to extend his stay at the club at any point since 2022, though he would have been interested in signing a new deal.
In the summer of 2023, Liverpool turned down a £150m bid from Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad.
(Top photo: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
