The Big Lead

Mo Salah sadly admits he's 'more out than in' with Liverpool future

By Joe Lago

Jul 31, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (11) removes his cleats after being subbed out during the second half against Arsenal at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jul 31, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (11) removes his cleats after being subbed out during the second half against Arsenal at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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Sports legends rarely ever receive the storybook ending they deserve from teams for their years of service and achievements. Rightly or wrongly, financial factors often take precedent over respect and nostalgia.

Mo Salah appears to be the latest sports star who's getting the unjust cold shoulder.

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On Sunday, the all-time Liverpool great shed light on his future with the club after the Reds' 3-2 victory at Southampton, revealing that he has yet to be given a contract offer to remain with the Reds.

"We're almost in December, I haven't received any offer to stay at the club, so I'm probably more out than in," the 32-year-old Salah said.

"I've been in the club for many years. No club like this. But in the end, it's not in my hands," he added. "... I haven't seen anything yet about my future."

While it's customary for clubs to move on from forwards after they turn 30, Salah isn't your ordinary attacker.

Salah ranks fifth among Liverpool's all-time top scorers with 223 goals in 367 games. The Egyptian star finally fulfilled his immense attacking talent when he joined the Reds in 2017, helping the club win its first and only Premier League title in 2020 and its sixth UEFA Champions League crown in 2019.

This season, Salah has shown no signs of slowing down. He's tallied 12 goals and 10 assists in 18 matches in all competitions after scoring a brace at Southampton, and he's producing a goal involvement every 65 minutes. That's a faster rate than his epic 2017-18 campaign, when he helped create a goal every 71 minutes with 44 goals and 14 assists.

What's holding back contract negotiations appears to be the length of a new deal. TBR Football's Graeme Bailey reports that Salah, who turns 33 in June and is one of the Premier League's top earners, is seeking a three-year contract.

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