Liverpool are increasingly confident Mohamed Salah will sign a contract extension beyond this summer after progress in talks over recent weeks. It is a significant boost with the captain, Virgil van Dijk, also likely to extend his stay beyond June. The Dutchman said this week that progress had been made with regard to securing his future at Anfield.
The pair have been instrumental for Liverpool this season, with the club closing in on a record-equalling 20th top-flight title. They have been ever-present in the Premier League under Arne Slot. Salah has scored 27 goals in 31 appearances while Van Dijk has helped Liverpool concede only 30 to put them top, 11 points clear of Arsenal, with seven games to play.
Slot has been adamant he wants Salah and Van Dijk to be part of his plans. Salah will turn 33 in June and the Netherlands centre-back will be 34 in July, but neither has missed a game through injury under him.
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In November Salah said he was “probably more out than in” at Liverpool after complaining that he had not received a new contract offer, but that his priority was to remain at the club, where he earns a basic salary of £350,000 (€409,000) a week. Talks with Salah’s representatives had started before November but without any formal contract being proposed for the Egyptian’s approval.
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Salah, who joined Liverpool in 2017, has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League but is set to ignore potential offers from elsewhere. Like Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, he has been free to negotiate with foreign clubs since the turn of the year. Of those three only Alexander-Arnold is set to depart, with a move to Real Madrid poised to be completed. - Guardian
