Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Mohamed Salah will want to play at the highest level until his late 30s and is targeting Premier League and club records despite uncertainty over his future.
The Egypt international put the ball firmly in the club’s court after scoring and setting up two goals in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory at Manchester United on Sunday. Salah has less than a year left to run on his contract at Anfield and said no discussions have taken place with the club on extending his deal. “Nobody in the club talked to me yet about contracts so I was just like, ‘OK, I play my last season and see at the end of the season’,” he said.
Salah is 32 but Carragher does not believe that will be a barrier to the forward and therefore should not be for Liverpool. “I’m not sure it will be his last year. I think Mo Salah is a little bit like (Cristiano) Ronaldo,” he said.
“Most footballers think 35 is the time to finish. I think Mo Salah will be looking at his late 30s and winding down then in his head. He will be looking at breaking every record he possibly can, either in the Premier League or Liverpool.
“I think he is aware of his status and I find it very difficult to see Mo Salah in the Saudi league, for instance, next season. He is playing that well at one of the biggest clubs in the world.”
In July 2022 Salah signed a new three-year deal, reportedly making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history on around £350,000 ($460,000) a week. Liverpool reportedly rejected a £150mn offer from Saudi’s Al Ittihad for Salah last year.
The Egyptian has scored 214 goals for Liverpool since joining in 2017, putting him fifth on the club’s all-time scoring charts. “I had a good summer and had a long time to myself to try to stay positive because as you know it’s my last year at the club,” Salah said. “I just want to enjoy it and I don’t want to think about it. I feel like I’m free to play football and then we’ll see what happens next year.”
New Liverpool boss Arne Slot refused to be drawn on the issue of Salah’s future after the win against United. Asked about the player’s comments, Slot said: “It’s a lot of ‘if’. At this moment he is one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours and he played really well. I don’t talk about contracts from players but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today.”
Salah is just one of three major Liverpool players out of contract at the end of the season, along with captain Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, on the field all is well for the Reds as new manager Arne Slot has made a serene start to the daunting task of replacing Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool have won their first three Premier League games without conceding to sit behind Manchester City at the top of the table on goals scored.
“It’s a great result. Everyone knows it’s very important for the city and for the fans – and for the manager with his first game in here,” added Salah.
“We’re so happy for the result. If you want to fight for the league this is the sort of game you need to win. I’m glad we managed to win it. The manager likes us to press high. We scored from all those situations. There’s not a big difference from Jurgen at the start and in time we’ve changed the system a little with the way we play. We’re adapting.”
