To say that Mohamed Salah rarely speaks to the English written media would be an understatement.
In seven and a half years at Liverpool, the global icon had stopped twice to answer questions in mixed zones after matches. The first time in April 2018, he kept a promise to local reporters after reaching the 40-goal mark against Bournemouth in his record-breaking debut season at Anfield.
Fast forward 14 months and he was holding court in Madrid after helping the club win the Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur.
Since then, hundreds of requests have been politely turned down and Sunday’s looked destined to join that bulging collection.
As Salah walked out of St Mary’s Stadium to board Liverpool’s team coach after scoring twice in a hard-fought 3-2 win over Southampton, the wind was howling and he was greeted by the sound of dozens of admirers screaming his name.
He glanced to his right where four journalists were waiting behind a metal barrier, but rather than sending his apologies, he headed straight over amid the din.
It soon became clear that Salah wanted to get something off his chest.
Having previously remained tight-lipped about his contract impasse, Salah decided the time was right to break rank. His frustration was evident as the conversation turned to the ongoing uncertainty over his future.
“Well, we are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in,” he said.
“I’m not going to retire soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League. I’m disappointed but we will see.”
Asked if he wanted to stay at Anfield beyond next summer, Salah added: “I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. I love the fans. The fans love me. It is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. I’m just doing my best because this is who I am and I try to give it all for myself and the club.”
The timing isn’t great for Liverpool given the unwanted headlines Salah’s comments will generate as they head into a crunch week, with Anfield hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday and Manchester City on Sunday. It should have been all positive after a gutsy comeback on the south coast to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
But it’s easy to understand why Salah has decided to crank up the pressure on the club’s hierarchy. With every passing week, his on-field heroics should be strengthening his hand at the negotiating table. With 12 goals and 10 assists in 18 appearances in all competitions, he is registering a goal involvement every 65 minutes this season.
He is on course for the most productive campaign of his career. Even in the 2017-18 season, when he netted 44 goals and contributed 14 assists, he only managed a goal involvement every 71 minutes.
After Sunday’s performance, Salah is only the third Liverpool player in history to score a century of away goals for the club — following in the footsteps of legends Ian Rush (161) and Roger Hunt (112).
Salah’s form is as good as ever (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
He has netted in five successive league matches and that run includes the late equaliser at Arsenal, the winner against Brighton & Hove Albion, the killer second at home to Aston Villa and Sunday’s rescue act against Southampton. He turns 33 in June but is still Liverpool’s most potent attacking weapon, as durable and influential as ever.
“We always know we can trust him if things are difficult for us,” said head coach Arne Slot. “It was a fantastic pass from Ryan Gravenberch, and the timing of the run and how Mo finished it (for the equaliser) was special. That helps you back in the game and we needed that goal to play the last 25 minutes we played. It was then a matter of time before we scored the third goal.” That arrived courtesy of Salah’s emphatic penalty seven minutes from time.
Many fans will be baffled by Salah stating, “I haven’t received any offers.” However, the situation is more nuanced than that.
It’s inconceivable that the ongoing dialogue between sporting director Richard Hughes and Salah’s representative Ramy Abbas hasn’t involved positioning and expectation setting by both sides. Negotiations essentially involve terms being discussed verbally, which usually leads to the issuing of a formal offer.
Salah is adamant that hasn’t happened yet and Liverpool, whose decision-makers do not want to add fuel to the fire or make the process adversarial, haven’t confirmed or denied that’s the case.
Senior Anfield figures, who remain anonymous to protect relationships, have insisted that contact with Abbas has been positive and is ongoing. Salah’s status as the club’s highest-paid player (his deal is worth around £350,000/$440,000 per week plus bonuses) and Liverpool’s need to continue planning for the future means this was always going to be a complex renewal with a swift resolution unlikely.
Liverpool want to keep Salah but it has to be within a framework that they believe makes sense financially as they seek to use their resources wisely. Hughes has the added complication of trying to agree extensions with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold simultaneously. Any of those three could pen pre-contract agreements with overseas clubs in 37 days.
Salah is not the only senior Liverpool player whose contract expires next summer (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
What was also clear from an eventful few minutes in Salah’s company is that he is desperate to keep competing for the biggest prizes in Europe.
He is fiercely ambitious and it was telling how quickly he swept aside talk of potentially moving to the Saudi Pro League in 2025: “I don’t want to speak about that.”
Salah was more open when asked about the prospect of emulating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by continuing to rewrite the record books in his mid-thirties and beyond.
“I’m very professional. Everybody can see my work ethic,” he said. “I’m just trying to enjoy my football and will play at the top level as long as possible. The whole team has the chemistry now with the new manager. Hopefully, we keep winning and win something in the end.”
Salah is a keen chess player and speaking out like he did on Sunday was a bold move. Only time will tell whether it has the impact he desires in the negotiating process.
They were the words of a man who wants to stay at Liverpool beyond this season and is trying to get the deal he believes suitably recognises his enduring status in the world game.
(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
