Mohamed Salah 'dropped hint' with comments suggesting Liverpool contract talks underway

Alan Shearer reckons that discussions between Mohamed Salah and Liverpool over a new contract have begun. The Newcastle icon interpreted Salah’s explosive comments following the Reds’ clash with Southampton on Sunday as indicative of ongoing negotiations, even if the two parties are a long way from reaching an agreement.

Salah, whose contract expires at the end of the season, told reporters that he hadn’t been offered a new deal following his side’s 3-2 win over the Saints. However, speaking to Betfair, Shearer, 54, said he thought his choice of words suggested talks are already underway.

“There’s no doubt Mo Salah was told to say what he said at the weekend by his agent to try and put pressure on the football club,” Shearer said. “It was noticeable he said he ‘hadn’t been offered a contract’. He didn’t say that talks hadn’t been going on. They’re two separate things, I think.”

Shearer continued: “He was looking after himself and his agent was telling him to do that, there’s no doubt of that because he very rarely stops in the media zone after games. I didn’t have a problem with what Mo did. When clubs want to get rid of you, they get rid of you and don’t have any empathy or sympathy towards you, so he was looking after his situation.”

Despite a warm reception from the Anfield crowd during Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Salah’s remarks have sparked considerable backlash, notably from Reds icon Jamie Carragher. The ex-defender slammed him as “selfish” for airing his grievances publicly, especially at such a pivotal moment in the campaign with critical fixtures against Madrid and Manchester City looming.

Nonetheless, Shearer came to Salah’s defence, asserting the star’s entitlement to “look after himself”, while acknowledging that both the player and the club have a right to feel aggrieved. “I know Liverpool are going after a title but he’s also got to look after himself. Likewise, when the club has to look after itself, they will. It works both ways,” he said.

“He’s a Premier League great, there’s no doubt. Whatever happens to him, whether he stays or goes, he will be looked upon as an icon of the Premier League. The number of times he’s rescued Liverpool as he did at the weekend again. When you’ve got him in your team, you’ve always got a chance.”

Salah is reportedly on a £350,000-a-week wage on Merseyside, making him one of the world’s top-earning footballers. While details of his contract demands remain under wraps, it is believed that Liverpool are hesitant to offer a similarly lucrative multi-year deal to someone who will be 33 before next season begins.

But despite his age, the former Chelsea forward shows no signs of slowing down. He has netted 10 goals in 12 Premier League games this season, helping Arne Slot’s team to an eight-point lead at the top of the table.

Salah is not the only Liverpool star whose contract is nearing its end. Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in the same boat, with the former confirming extension talks but the latter being heavily linked with a free transfer to Real Madrid next summer.

It remains to be seen whether the uncertainty over the futures of these three players will impact Liverpool’s increasingly promising title bid. However, it doesn’t seem to be causing any harm at present. Next up is a top-of-the-table showdown with Pep Guardiola’s City, who have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.

A win would put the Reds 11 points ahead of the reigning champions, and Slot’s side will be confident of achieving just that given their strong record against City at Anfield. Since 2016, Liverpool have only lost once at home to City in a series of 11 matches. Fellow title rivals Arsenal, meanwhile, face West Ham on Saturday evening.