Liverpool manager Arne Slot has expressed confidence that Mohamed Salah will remain with the club “for a long time,” following his outstanding performance in the 3-3 draw against Newcastle.
Salah, 32, is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and recently voiced his “disappointment” over the club’s delay in offering a new contract.
The Egyptian star demonstrated his value once again at Newcastle, assisting Curtis Jones for Liverpool’s first goal and scoring two brilliant finishes, though Fabian Schar’s late equalizer denied the Reds a win.
Slot told Amazon Prime: “Every time we need Mo Salah he scores a goal.
“We are hoping and expecting he can continue this for a long time. He was outstanding in the second half, he did many special things for us.”
‘Incredible stats’
Robbie Fowler, who netted 128 Premier League goals for Liverpool, has made it clear how he believes the club should manage Salah’s future.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, Fowler said: “Salah’s stats and data are incredible. We talked about him getting that new contract and his agent should be there first thing in the morning to get him to sign that contract.
“He is that player who can change a game. He has moments and he is exceptional in those moments. He is a match winner.”
Salah’s stunning second half means he has now scored and assisted in 37 Premier League matches, overtaking Wayne Rooney (36) as the player to have done so on the most occasions in the competition.
Salah has scored in each of his past seven Premier League matches, with the Egyptian becoming just the third player to have two separate runs of seven or more consecutive games scored in a row in the competition along with Jamie Vardy and his new Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Salah has 325 goals and assists in 370 games for Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017, and only legendary captain Steven Gerrard (92) has more than his 76 assists for the club in the Premier League.
Salah’s total of 168 Premier League goals for Liverpool puts him comfortably top of the club’s list – add in the two he got for Chelsea and Salah is eighth in the all-time charts, just five behind Arsenal great Thierry Henry.
‘They have to keep him’
Speaking on Match of the Day, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said Liverpool have to retain their forward.
“We keep talking about him – he is unbelievable,” said Richards.
“He doesn’t even play well for 60 minutes but he’s world class. We talk about his contract, is he staying or is he going?
“They must keep him because he can do so many things others can’t do. He doesn’t have to be at the top of his game – not many people can score goals like that.
“Mo Salah is immense.”