Mohamed Salah should keep “trying to reach perfection” according to Arne Slot after ending uncertainty over his Liverpool future by signing a new two-year contract.
Salah agreed to extend his illustrious Anfield career to a decade after months of negotiations between his agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, and Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes. Financial details of the deal, which was confirmed by the player and club on Friday, have not been disclosed but the 32-year-old has not taken a pay cut. His previous three-year contract was worth a basic £350,000 (€400,000) a week, although his overall earnings were about £1 million (€1.15m) a week.
The Egypt international is third on Liverpool’s all-time goalscorers’ list behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt with 243 goals in 392 appearances. He has been instrumental in this season’s pursuit of the Premier League title and, despite being free to negotiate with foreign clubs from January 1st, has long been expected to extend his Anfield career. The same is true of Virgil van Dijk, who is out of contract at the end of this season but also in line for a new two-year deal.
“It’s great to be here another two years,” said Salah. “So I’m happy to sign a new contract. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football. I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.”
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Salah said his wife, Magi, and two young daughters also wanted to stay on Merseyside and credited his relationship with Slot as another factor in his contentment at Liverpool. He said: “I think we have a good relationship. We understand each other on and off the field, which is very important. We have good communication, we discuss almost everything he wants me to improve and he wants from me. And also if I feel there’s something in doubt, I go and speak to him. That’s a great asset to have also as a manager.”
Slot praised the Liverpool hierarchy for securing the services of a world-class player who would have had numerous options as a free agent, including a move to the Saudi Pro League.
The head coach said: “I’m part of the process but I don’t deserve the compliments. First of all, it’s Mo’s choice and his agent’s choice and what he wants. Second of all, the club – FSG [Fenway Sports Group], Richard, Michael Edwards [FSG’s CEO of football] – put in a lot of effort to influence that. Effort mostly means money but not only money. What it might tell you is that it’s not [only] a good season this season but next season as well. Mo is convinced we have a fair chance of being able to do so. Again, that’s positive.
“If you want to sign new players or players who want to extend here it is always a positive to see one of our star players over the last seven or eight years has made the choice to extend his contract. It also shows how ambitious this club is: not only Mo but the owners and the ones who came in last season, that we are really ambitious to keep performing the way this club has performed for so many years.”
Salah has scored 30 or more goals in five of his seasons at Liverpool and Slot believes the target for the next two years, on an individual level, is to maintain that remarkable standard.
He said: “We are always trying to achieve a bit more but if you play for Liverpool then you are already close to the maximum of your ability. So there is not a lot more to come [from Salah]; we are just trying to reach perfection. We will never reach it but we will reach excellence along the way. We brought almost the maximum out of Mo this season. Then it’s about consistency and that is why Mo is at the level he is. His mentality is so strong and it needs to be if you want to stay at the highest level for seven or eight years and perform every three days.” – Guardian
