Mohamed Salah has admitted that he is “probably more out than in” when asked about his Liverpool future with the end of his current contract looming on the horizon.
The Egyptian attacker's existing deal finishes at the end of the current campaign and he will be available to move on a free transfer after eight memorable years on Merseyside that have seen him become Liverpool's all-time leading Premier League scorer with 167 goals.
Despite the uncertainty over his future, Salah's form has been excellent this season and he has been at the heart of Liverpool's surge to the top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables.
And it was his two goals on Sunday that earned the Reds a 3-2 comeback win at struggling Southampton that extended their lead at the top of their domestic league to eight points, following second-placed Manchester City's third defeat on the spin – a stunning 4-0 home thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur.
Salah now has 10 goals and six assists in 12 games, which means he has been involved in 67 per cent of Liverpool's 24 Premier League goals. The 32-year-old is second only to Erling Haaland's 12 for City in the scoring charts.
His standing with fans remains as high as ever, with a banner currently being brandished at games reading “He Fires A Bow. Now Give Mo His Dough” making clear their thoughts on what the club should do next.
But despite this continued popularity – and with links to the Saudi Pro League showing no sign of ending – it looks like Salah's time at Anfield is coming to an end.
“Well, we are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club,” Salah told reporters after the win at Southampton. “I’m probably more out than in.”
Asked if he was disappointed not to have received an offer, he added: “Of course, yeah. I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see.
“I'm not going to retire soon so I'm just playing, focusing on the season and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed but we will see.”
Liverpool have enjoyed a superb start to theirs campaign since the exit of the hugely popular Jurgen Klopp as manager and have won 16 out of 18 games under new coach Arne Slot with Salah scoring 12 goals and supplying 10 assists across all competitions.
After the win at St Mary's Stadium – and with Real Madrid and then Manchester City both playing at Anfield in the next six days – Slot made clear how important his talisman striker is to Liverpool.
“We always know we can trust on him if things are difficult for us,” said the Dutch coach. “That is what special players do, they can score out of nowhere. It wasn't completely out of nowhere as it was a great ball by Ryan Gravenberch. Mo is known for the timing of his runs, he finds the right moment and scores the goal.”
SPL side Al Ittihad attempted to sign Salah for £150 million in the summer of 2023 only to be knocked back by Klopp, who was determined to hold on to a player who had helped him win the Fifa Club World Cup, Uefa Champions League and Premier League crowns.
A few weeks after the failed bid, SPL director of football Michael Emenalo admitted that Salah remained a top target for the kingdom. “If it didn't happen, it's not because we no longer fancy the player, or because we have a problem with Liverpool,” said the former Chelsea director of football.
“It's because certain things that need to align for all the parties involved in the process didn't align. Nobody is angry, we move on, but we absolutely close no doors and if the opportunity is there to do things and do it well – and it brings Mohamed Salah to the Saudi Pro League we will all be very grateful.”
Salah is not the only key Liverpool player whose contract comes to an end next summer with club captain Virgil van Dijk and England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold also awaiting new deals.
“For me the contract situation could become a problem if the players don't perform as well as they do at the moment,” Slot insisted earlier this month. “At the moment all three of them are in a good place, all of them perform really, really, really well.”
