Alex Crook has declared one story coming out of Liverpool this week as ‘massive news’ for the club, but he wasn’t referring to the imminent appointment of Arne Slot as our new head coach.
The journalist was, in fact, reacting to reports that Mo Salah is expected to remain at Anfield despite the revival of transfer interest from Saudi Arabia (The Athletic), with the 31-year-old set for talks over a possible contract renewal before the end of this season (Fabrizio Romano).
Speaking on talkSPORT about the likelihood of the Egyptian staying with the Reds, Crook said: “I think this is massive news not just for Liverpool but for the Premier League as well, and for this summer’s transfer window. Last year it was dominated by the Saudi Pro League and the signings they were making.
“It does look as if Liverpool are confident Salah will stay at Anfield at least for the final year of his contract. I think ideally they’d like to tie him down to an extension to that deal rather than let him walk out as a free agent at the end of next season. Even sources in Saudi Arabia are suggesting they’re not as confident as perhaps they once were that they could prise Salah away this summer.
“What I’m being told by sources at Liverpool is that just because the manager is leaving, it doesn’t mean that the star player is walking out of the door as well.”
Salah’s form might have nosedived in tandem with the team as a whole during April, but it’s undeniable that he remains a world-class footballer and a pheonemally consistent source of goals, hitting at least 23 in each of his seven seasons at Anfield so far (Transfermarkt).
He still has 14 months remaining on his contract with the Reds, so if indeed he does sit down for talks over a potential renewal in the coming weeks and that progresses smoothly, any fears over an exit this summer could well be put to bed soon.
You can view Crook’s comments on Salah below, via talkSPORT on YouTube: