Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confessed that he does not believe Mohamed Salah will be leaving Anfield anytime soon.
Salah is approaching the final 18 months of his current deal and talks over an extension have been dragging on for a little while now, although he recently did his best to alleviate fears by admitting he wants to retire at Liverpool.
On Sunday, Salah took his tally for the season to 15 goals in just 12 appearances in all competitions as he fired home a memorable hat-trick in the 5-0 mauling of Manchester United, after which Klopp took the opportunity to discuss the Egyptian's future.
“Mo was there to get the goals and he deals with the fuss that everyone makes around him,” Klopp said (via The Times). “He enjoys his football and long, long, long may it continue. I knew already [he wants to end his career here]. I know the situation.”
90min understands that Salah is seeking a wage which would make him one of the Premier League's highest earners, with the Egyptian believing his current form and consistency is worthy of such a salary - a claim which is hard to argue with these days.
Long-standing interest in Salah from Spain remains, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid known to be keen on landing the 29-year-old. While Salah is not against joining either side, his priority is to remain at Anfield.
Liverpool hope to tie Salah down to a new contract in the near future, having already secured extensions for fellow first-team stars like Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and captain Jordan Henderson.
The club's owners, FSG, are known to be somewhat hesitant to commit to an ageing core of players, but there is an acceptance that Salah is somehow still improving and a new contract is quickly becoming their top priority.
Salah has now scored in ten consecutive games in all competitions and has only failed to find the back of the net once this season, drawing a blank when Liverpool bested Burnley 2-0 in the second week of the season.
Source : 90min