Mo Salah‘s assertion that he is “more out than in” at Liverpool next season due to a lack of formal contract offers has led fans to vent at the club’s owners.
Salah gave a rare interview with the assembled press after Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Southampton, during which he said he was “disappointed” at there being no progress in talks over a new deal.
The Egyptian’s contract expires at the end of the season and he told reporters: “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.”
Given this came after Salah scored twice to turn things around at St Mary’s, securing three points to extend Liverpool’s lead over Man City to eight, it is certainly timely.
And it is safe to say Salah has caused a stir on social media and This Is Anfield‘s comments section.
Many have seen it as a monumental error from the club…
The fact that Liverpool are in control of a title race yet they have got themselves into a situation where all three major contracts aren’t sorted and one of the important attacking player in that title race is playing out contract negotiations in public is not good
— Danny Corcoran (@calcio_danny) November 25, 2024
“We actually could afford to lose VVD and Trent, wouldn’t want it. But who else replaces Mo? In the world? No one, in his assists and goals. No other club in world football would allow this to happen three key players to wind down their contracts and allow them to go somewhere else. FSG I’ve realised stands for Flipping Stingy Guys!”
– Steve Nash on Facebook.
In just over 4 weeks time, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk & Trent Alexander-Arnold are free to talk to other teams.
FSG & Richard Hughes seem happy to allow that.
Unacceptable.
— ? (@LFCApproved) November 25, 2024
It's just a total disrespect from the top brass to our one of the greatest ever. Total shame the way Edwards and Hughes are dealing with top 3 star of our team. Today Salah came out public. If VVD and Trent decide the same those higher-ups are gonna be in shambles.#LFC
FSG are cretins. Where would we be without Salah? He’s given the best years of his career for this club and is a club legend.
I’ll be absolutely done with these owners if Salah doesn’t get a new contract.
— – (@AnfieldRd96) November 25, 2024
“I knew this. Salah loves Liverpool wholeheartedly, and he’s very eager to stay. If the owners offered him a considerable contract he would have long accepted it. This tells us a lot about FSG, they are more interested about their pocket than the club’s success. The club has outgrown them, and very soon Liverpool supporters will realise this.”
– Stephen Harison on Facebook.
If there’s one player who deserves to have whatever numbers on his contract, based on carrying this club consistently for 8 seasons through the glory and hard times, it’s Mohamed Salah. @LFC, sort it out or face the consequences. pic.twitter.com/7y1YMxmXsG
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) November 25, 2024
I don’t think it’s a controversial opinion anymore to say that Mohamed Salah is the best Premier League player of all time. He’s still pivotal for #LFC. He’s been directly involved in 67% of our Premier League goals this season. We should be giving him whatever he wants.
— Jack Gill (@jacklfcgill.bsky.social) 2024-11-25T09:24:39.992Z
“Speechless and disgusted, what a way to treat by far your best player over the past 10 or so years. If I were him I’d say to the club: stick it.”
– Selash in the comments.
There's negligence and then there's this. It's widely accepted that Mo Salah is the best player league who's on course for another record-breaking season and we are looking at letting him leave for nothing. FSG will come under incredible fire if they don't allow this to get resolved #LFC
— Mark Jepson (@markjepson.bsky.social) 2024-11-25T09:18:50.787Z
Salah has picked the perfect moments to crank up the pressure on the owners— he's proved his worth time and time again. He loves the club, he loves the fans, and he's the best player in the world. What more does he need to do? Put that contract in front of him. NOW! #LFC ? pic.twitter.com/fvPCUADS7b
— Asim (@asim_lfc) November 25, 2024
But others have rightly pointed out it’s all “part of the dance”…
Easy to get carried away with Mo Salah's quotes this morning, but this is just how it works with him.
Salah and his agent know his value, but #LFC also know their hand is particularly strong this time around.
Would still expect him to sign, just maybe not any time soon.
— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) November 25, 2024
“Mo’s always been one to use his words, and of course his incredible footballing ability, to try to get himself the best contract possible. I’m still thinking he will stay.”
– Jacob in the comments.
These Salah soundbites aren’t surprising. He’s just playing the game. No changes from what I said previously. He wants to stay but club aren’t budging with their terms. Still think it gets done.
— Max8LFC ???? (@max8lfc.bsky.social) 2024-11-25T09:15:51.053Z
These Mo Salah statements are all part of the dance, I suspect. There’s no way they aren’t in talks of some sort. This is just a public way to apply pressure, but there’s an argument to say #lfc should never have allowed themselves to get into this situation.
— Kevin Hatchard (@kevinhatchard.bsky.social) 2024-11-25T09:11:09.360Z
“If talks are ongoing but there is no contract then that’s because the club and agent don’t agree yet. This is PR and to be honest I don’t like this angle. He’s clearly trying to pressure the club into agreeing to more.”
– Adam Griffin in the comments.
Still think Salah will stay tbh.
— Ste Hoare (@stehoare) November 25, 2024
In reality, it is perhaps a bit of both, as though Salah and his agent are masters of using the media to drive a narrative – as we saw during previous talks in 2022 – Liverpool should not really have found themselves in this situation.
With not only Salah but also Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s deals expiring at the end of the season, there is a sense that the club have sleepwalked into a crisis.
Much of that can be explained by the lack of stability within the club during Jurgen Klopp‘s final campaign, with fractures developing around the German – including the swift resignation of sporting director Julian Ward.
Still, that – as Salah says – we are nearing the end of the year with no breakthrough yet in initial talks with the agents of those three players is a major concern.
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