Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has revealed he is “far away” from agreeing to a new contract with the Premier League club.
The 32-year-old’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season, allowing him to begin discussions with non-English clubs for a potential free transfer starting January 1.
Salah, who continues to play a pivotal role for Liverpool, scored his 20th goal of the season in the team’s commanding 5-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday. The win extended Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to eight points.
Asked about his future following the victory, Salah told Sky Sports: “No, we are far away from that [contract] and I don’t want to put anything in the media.
“The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that.
“I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There is a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again.”
Salah, club captain Virgil van Dijk and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract at the end of the season.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot says he is not concerned that the trio can, in theory, sign pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs from 1 January.
“I think I have a lot of control over what they do,” Slot said. “If they’re on a training pitch, if they’re in a meeting with me… but talking about the private lives, I don’t have control about them.
“I have control to a certain extent over them, from what I expect from them on the pitch, and I’m really pleased to see what Virgil brings, what Trent brings and what Mo (Salah) brings.”
Earlier this season, Salah said he was “disappointed” by the club’s failure to offer him a new deal.
After Liverpool’s win against Manchester City earlier this month, Salah said he played the game against Pep Guardiola’s side as if it were the last time he would face them.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy says he is still confident Salah will remain at Anfield.
“I hope it’s a little bit of gameplay in terms of the negotiations (with Liverpool),” Murphy told Match of the Day.
“Every Liverpool supporter wants him to stay and I’ve got a really positive feeling that he’ll stay and they’ll get it done.
“They’re just taking their time – these things do when you’re talking about huge amounts of money.
“He’s the most important player Liverpool have at the moment. They’ve got to get it signed off.”