James Pearce shares Liverpool response to Mo Salah contract sucker punch | OneFootball

You could forgive Arne Slot for groaning a little when reading about Mo Salah’s latest contract comments at the breakfast table.

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The Egyptian international was the star of the show as Liverpool secured a comeback victory against Southampton to heap pressure on Manchester City in the title race.

But the No.11’s pointed message to the Reds hierarchy in the direct aftermath will have seen a huge chunk of that pressure re-directed to decision-makers at the club.

Salah has made his move, he very clearly wants to stay put at Anfield. It’s over to Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes.

Liverpool staying calm and collected over Mo Salah contract talks

(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Liverpool, for their part, have opted not to provide comment on matters following a 3-2 win over Russell Martin’s struggling Saints outfit.

James Pearce reported for The Athletic: “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.”

So, seemingly, things are going well, even if our top-scorer’s comments would appear to suggest the contrary.

Of course, that’ll be of little consolation to the Anfield faithful given we’re set to head into December shortly.

Only 37 days remain until January 1 – when the likes of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold can begin negotiating pre-contract agreements with suitors from abroad.

Talks may be progressing at home, but knives are no doubt already being sharpened overseas in anticipation of a feast at Liverpool’s expense.

Why Liverpool must offer Mo Salah a new contract

Put simply: Our Egyptian King is showing absolutely no signs of decline this season.

A hamstring injury suffered in 2023/24 prompted some reasonable concern over his longevity at Anfield, but he’s responded in emphatic fashion with his performances in 2024/25.

12 goals and 10 assists have been racked up in amongst 18 outings (across all competitions). He’s only failed to get a goal contribution in two English top-flight games in the current campaign.

Including his latest efforts against Southampton, Mo Salah’s goals (those directly putting Liverpool in the points from either a losing position or with the score level) have seen us secure 13 points in the league.

Handing the 32-year-old a contract extension he and Ramy Abbas Issa would be prepared to accept wouldn’t simply be a just reward – it’s an absolute necessity.