26 November 2024
Liverpool, without being at their very best by some distance, managed a win over the weekend. Let’s be honest, Southampton had a hand in all three of the goals they conceded. Still, Liverpool won and increased their lead over Manchester City. They’ve put themselves in a fabulous position right now sitting eight points clear at the top of the table.
Fans were feeling great this weekend after their come-back 3-2 win at Southampton. Then they woke up to some comments from Mo Salah about his future with the club:
Interviewer: “Mo, can you talk about your future? What’s the latest you can tell us?”-
Salah: “Well, we’re almost in December, and I haven’t received any offers to stay yet at the club. So probably, I’m more out than in.”
Interviewer: “Would you like to stay?”
Salah: “You know, I’ve been at the club for many years. There’s no club like this, but in the end, it’s not in my hands. As I said, it’s December, and I haven’t received anything yet. It’s disappointing, but we’ll see.”
Interviewer: “The fans clearly love you. Does that make a difference?”
Salah: “I love the fans, and they love me, but again, it’s not in my hands. We’ll see.”
Interviewer: “How do you feel about the fact there hasn’t been an offer yet?”
Salah: “Of course, I’m disappointed. I’m focusing on the season, trying to win the Premier League or, hopefully, the Champions League. But yeah, it’s disappointing.”
Mohamed Salah is "selfish" for choosing to speak to the press ahead of pivotal Manchester City and Real Madrid match up's publicly, says former Liverpool player and outspoken pundit Jamie Carragher.
Salah rarely engages with the media, so for him to raise this twice is striking. Clearly, there’s been no progress since the last time he mentioned this following the Manchester United match. It’s also important to note that he wasn’t obligated to talk to reporters in this instance—he chose to. That deliberate decision says he had something he wanted to express.
Looking at his form right now, Salah is arguably in the best period of his Liverpool career. Jurgen Klopp even highlighted after the game that Salah is someone they can trust when things get difficult. He’s integral to Liverpool. But Salah’s comments suggest no negotiations have taken place, which is a fascinating scenario.
If so, is it only on their terms? Or do they not want to keep him at all? It’s hard to read, but what’s clear is that Salah is frustrated and unhappy about the lack of communication.
Opta reported that Salah is worth 17 points to Liverpool this season—the most of any player in the Premier League. Without him, Chelsea would be first, and Liverpool would be 13th. But Salah is 32 years old. Liverpool has consistently said they want a smart approach to managing their players. They prefer younger players with high potential rather than overpaying for older players who’ve already peaked.
If you’re Liverpool, there’s always the risk with players at a certain age. For some, that last big payday becomes the motivation, and their performance drops significantly after they secure a new contract. That said, Salah’s numbers and his consistent character suggest he’s not that type of player.
