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Mohamed Salah is ‘close to leaving’ Liverpool, believes his friend and former Reds teammate Dejan Lovren.
The remarkable contract situation at Anfield rumbles on as Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold edge closer to the end of their deals with the club.
As things stand the three club legends are all set to leave on free transfers at the end of the season, which would be a monumental loss to Arne Slot’s team.
Lovren was at Liverpool when Salah arrived in 2017, playing together until the Croatian left for Zenit in 2020, forming a close friendship in that time.
The 35-year-old, now playing for PAOK, says he has been in contact with Salah and feels that an agreement over a new contract with Liverpool is the less likely option and he expects the forward to leave this summer.
‘I think he is close to leaving. Right now I think he is closer to leaving than staying,’ Lovren told WinWin. ‘That’s what I know, that’s my feeling. I obviously hope that the situation changes.’
Lovren added: ‘We are still in touch. We talk every now and then, yes. I have to be careful what I say now, because I know a lot of things.
‘Honestly, I don’t know the exact numbers, but whatever he’s asking for, I think he deserves it. It’s simple, this guy is doing his job on the pitch.
‘Don’t look at his age, some will say he’ll be 33, but look at Ronaldo, he’s 40 and still playing. Mohamed Salah is still scoring goals, he’s in great physical and mental shape.
‘He’s still playing for the national team, so what’s the problem? He’s seven or eight years younger [than Ronaldo]. So what’s the problem with Salah? Nobody can find an answer, that’s why I find it difficult.
‘I can talk in more detail. Salah believes that there are things missing from the club side, and I hope they’ll be resolved soon. But the current reality is that he’s closer to leaving than staying.
‘Everyone wants him to stay, and I personally want him to stay. I called him one day and said: “Mo, you have to think about yourself. Look at everything you’ve given this club and what you can still give”.’
‘In the end, I came to the conclusion that the club doesn’t respect him enough, or at least not as much as they think they deserve, but that’s another side of the story, it’s all about what goes on behind the scenes.’
Salah is believed to be asking for a three-year contract on similar terms to the one he currently has, with Liverpool reluctant given he turns 33 years old in June this year.
The prolific forward has scored 21 Premier League goals so far this season and 26 in all competitions.
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