Alan Shearer is stunned that Liverpool have allowed star winger Mohamed Salah to run down his contract at the club.
Salah was instrumental in the team’s 3-0 win over Manchester United, providing two assists for Luis Diaz and scoring the third goal to put the nail in the coffin in their fierce rivals this past weekend.
The Egyptian winger has been the stand-out player since he joined in 2017, scoring 214 goals and assisting 92 times in 352 appearances for the club. In July 2022, Salah signed a three-year deal that would keep him at the club until the summer of 2025 on an eye-watering weekly wage of £350,000.
However, there has reportedly been no movement on his contract since then, which has ex-Premier League star Shearer surprised at the club’s current decision making.Speaking to Betfair, the former Newcastle striker admitted that he felt Salah’s was smart for mentioning his contract after the United game, saying he was putting out a “message” to Liverpool bosses to get him signed up for the future.Shearer said: “I think it was a good move on Mo Salah’s part after playing such an important role in that win against Man United to come out and say he was treating it like his last season at the club.
A couple of assists, a really good goal, a player-of-the-match performance, and then being interviewed afterwards to say that no one has come to him or his agent about a contract, which I am amazed about.”The situation with him, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk, I’m really surprised they’ve allowed three big-hitters to get to this stage.
Mo was putting a message out there, there’s no doubt about that and whether they listen, whether they’re prepared to give him the length of contract he wants, or the money he wants, we’ll see. There are so many different factors.
He may want a big payday and go abroad; we know there was talk about him a few months back about him going to Saudi. Whether that’s what he wants or not I don’t know, but it was clever timing on his part to put that message out.
The 54-year-old was also quick to praise Salah for his electric start to the season, noting that the winger had time to rest over the summer and has come back ready to play at his best – and could do so for another few years, despite his age. Shearer continued: “The thing with Salah is, he’s had a rest in the summer and come back in better than ever.
He’s started the season incredibly well and when you look at his physique and who and what he is, there’s no doubt he can play at the top level for another two or three years at least.”I understand from his point of view that he’ll want a longer contract as he’ll feel he’s better than a one-year deal, but I guess it’s ‘watch this space’ with him.”
Shearer also pointed out that two other big Liverpool stars – Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold – are also in the final year of their contracts, leaning to a potentially stressful January transfer window for the club if they do not tie these three players down.
If Liverpool don’t extend Salah, Van Dijk or Alexander-Arnold’s contract, then they could be free to sign a pre-contract with another team come the new year.
Shearer added: “There’s no doubt the talent, energy and ability are still there and will be for a while, but I just find it really surprising that Salah, Trent and Van Dijk have been allowed to get into the last year of their contracts; particularly Trent being homegrown. I find it really surprising the football club have got themselves into this position.
