Mo Salah’s Liverpool contract: Every word he & Klopp have said on deal

Planet Football • 23 Apr 2022

Both Liverpool and Mohamed Salah are reportedly desperate to see the Egypt international stay at Anfield – but Salah has yet to be offered a contract extension by the club.

After signing his latest contract in 2018, Salah has entered the final 18 months of his contract and apparently wishes to be paid a similar amount to other Premier League high-earners like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin de Bruyne.

But FSG are said to be reluctant to give a blank cheque to a player that will enter his thirties in June and talks have become protracted.

We’ve collected everything Klopp and Salah about the contract impasse and put it together in one piece.

December 2020 – Salah

“I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs,” Salah said in the middle of last season. “Who knows what will happen in the future, but right now I am focused on winning the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool again.”

When pressed on his future further, Salah insisted everything was in Liverpool’s hands, adding: “That’s a tough question, but right now I can say that everything is in the hands of the club.

“Of course, I want to break records here and, I repeat, all the club records, but everything is in the hands of the club.”

January 2021 – Salah

Salah reiterated the same message in a revealing interview with Norwegian channel TV2.

“If you ask me, I say I want to stay as long as I can, but as I’ve said before, it’s in the club’s hands,” he said. “I’m always going to give 100 per cent until the last minute I’m at this club and I want to win as many trophies as I can.

“I want to give 100 per cent to the people who show me love all the time.”

January 2021 – Klopp

When asked whether Liverpool would be impacted by speculation surrounding Salah, Klopp said: “I don’t think so. That’s a normal thing as well in the world of football.

“It’s not that we go out and talk about things we think are important, it’s pretty rare. But we get asked questions and we answer and that’s the story and [it looks like] we started the conversation.

“In most cases, it’s not like that. No, I don’t think it will disrupt the season.”

March 2021 – Salah

Asked in an interview with Marca if he is keen to experience Spanish football, Salah said: “I hope to be able to play for many more years.

“Why not? No one knows what’s going to happen in the future, so… maybe one day, yes.”

“I hope to be doing the same thing that I’ve been doing in recent years,” he added.

“Winning trophies, scoring goals, helping my team win trophies. That’s the most important thing for me.”

When asked about his future at Liverpool, the 29-year-old said: “It’s not up to me. We’ll see what happens but I prefer not to talk about that now.”

STOP THAT, MO SALAH! 🇪🇬👑

The footwork is magical, the finish is sublime.

He had the Watford defence on strings! 😱 pic.twitter.com/tBWPWWOxeX

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 16, 2021

May 2021 – Salah

“No one is talking to me about anything, so I can’t say much about that,” Salah said when asked in an interview with Sky Sports at the end of last season.

“No one in the club is talking to me about anything so I do not know.”

The Egypt international’s ambitions were laid clear in the same interview. Salah said: “I said before that I want to win the Premier League again, I want to win the Champions League again.

“It’s a great thing to win, I’m just trying to win it again and again and again because part of our job is we need to win trophies.”

May 2021 – Klopp

Speaking before the match against West Brom in May 2021, Klopp underlined his desire for Salah’s contract to be extended.

“We are all responsible to make it happen,” Klopp said. “He is a goalscoring machine. He is an outstanding signing but the way he has developed, the training and game preparation is exceptional. He is a role model.”

October 2021 – Salah

“If you ask me, I would love to stay until the last day of my football career, but I can’t say much about that – it’s not in my hands,” Salah said ahead of Liverpool’s crushing 5-0 win over Manchester United three months ago.

“It depends on what the club want, not on me.

“At the moment I can’t see myself ever playing against Liverpool. That would make me sad. It’s hard, I don’t want to talk about it, but it would make me really sad.

“At the moment I don’t see myself playing against Liverpool but let’s see what will happen in the future.”

December 2021 – Salah

“I said it several times, if the decision is up to me, I want to stay in Liverpool,” Salah told Egyptian broadcaster MBC Masr TV, per the Liverpool Echo.

“But the decision is in the hands of the management and they have to solve this issue.

“There is no problem but we have to reach an agreement for the contract. It’s up to them.

“Your financial value shows how much the club appreciates you and that they are ready to do anything for you to stay, but the decision itself is not based on those financial matters only.

“There are things like the ambition of the team and the coach and what he wants to do with the team and the players he wants. These are all important points when making the decision.”

December 2021 – Klopp

At the start of December, Klopp remained relaxed about Salah’s contract situation.

“You know what he is about,” Klopp told reporters. “We’re talking and extending a contract with a player, like if not something you where you meet for a cuppa and sort it. That’s normal.

“I can only say a few things but I’m not sure if it’s translated [wrongly] and it’s an issue.

“Mo is fine, I am fine. I think what we all want is clear things.

“It needs time, that is it.”

Sky Germany claimed that Salah asked the club to buy a new striker to play alongside him, to ensure they will continue to challenge for the top prizes.

But Klopp said he wasn’t worried by talks dragging on. “We are in really good conversations,” he shared. “I want it to happen, but when? I couldn’t care less.”

January 2022 – Salah

“I want to stay, but it’s not in my hands. It’s in their hands. I’m not asking for crazy stuff,” Salah told GQ in January 2022.

“The thing is, when you ask for something and they show you they can give you something, [they should] because they appreciate what you did for the club.

“I’ve been here for my fifth year now. I know the club very well. I love the fans. But with the administration, they have [been] told the situation. It’s in their hands.”

READ: The 13 PL players that earn more than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah

January 2022 – Klopp

“I know Mo wants to stay, we want Mo to stay,” Klopp told reporters before the League Cup semi with Arsenal.

“These things take time, but I think all of it is in a good place. I’m very positive about it. The fans are not as nervous as you (the media) are.

“They know the club and know the people dealing with things here. We cannot say anything about it.”

Asked if talks were heading in the right direction, Klopp said: “Yeah. These things take time. There are so many things to do, by the way, there is a third party agent there as well.

“But it’s nothing to worry about. He has a contract here this season and the next season.

“That is just the situation, but all fine. He’s a world-class player, great boy, has done great stuff for Liverpool and we want to keep him.”

February 2022 – Klopp

Klopp hinted that Salah’s age wouldn’t be a problem if he were to sign a new deal, claiming that some of the world’s best players right now are over the age of 30.

“One or two years ago the first three players of the Ballon d’Or, apart from Salah who is slightly younger, were all 34 or older,” Klopp stated ahead of Liverpool’s match against Burnley.

“Lewandowski is 33, then Messi and Ronaldo [are] 34 and 37 and if you are lucky enough to get through a career without major injuries you can play long.

“There is no peak mid-20s. The massive advantage of early 30s, mid-30s is the player can see things in the right way, having learned in his career.

“He can use that, and he can be an even better player than he was a few years before, and that is the plan with all of them. There is no age roof.

“For clubs it is different, they think ‘we won’t sign a 33-year-old because we cannot sell him any more’ but if the player is already in then it is outstanding to have him around because they have experience, desire and quality.”

March 2022 – Klopp

Ahead of Liverpool’s trip to face Brighton, Klopp issued a concerning update on Salah’s contract, hinting that an offer was on the table but it was down to Salah to sign it.

“I think Mo definitely expects this club to be ambitious, and we were in the last few years and we are,” Klopp stated.

“No, of course, we cannot do much more that’s how it is but I don’t think it’s about that.

“It’s Mo’s decision, pretty much. The club did what the club can do, there’s nothing bad to say about it. It’s all fine.

“From my point of view, it’s exactly like it should be at this moment in time.

“Nothing happened further, no signing or rejection or whatever, we just have to wait for that. It’s all completely fine. There’s no rush in that situation.”

April 2022 – Salah

In an interview, with FourFourTwo, Salah gave an update which is likely to strike fear into the hearts of Liverpool fans.

“I don’t know [if he will stay], I have one year left. I think the fans know what I want, but in the contract it’s not everything about the money at all. So I don’t know, I can’t tell you exactly. I have one year left and the fans know what I want.”

His response was more encouraging after though, confirming that his desire is to stay.

“Yeah,” he said. “This club means a lot to me – I’ve enjoyed my football here more than anywhere, I gave the club everything and everybody saw that. I’ve had a lot of unbelievable moments here, winning trophies, individual goals, individual trophies. It’s like a family here.”

“I’m not worried, I don’t let myself worry about something,” he said. “The season didn’t finish yet, so let’s finish it in the best possible way – that’s the most important thing. Then in the last year, we’re going to see what’s going to happen.”

When asked if he would still be at Anfield next season even without a new deal, he confirmed he would stay.

“Yeah. Er, I think so? But if they want me to go, that’s something different!”

“Hopefully before I go, I will be the first one [top goalscorer],” Salah explained. “More than 300, it’s quite tough to get. But let’s see.”