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Klopp drops Salah contract hint as Liverpool boss hails ‘pretty special’ moment

Mohamed Salah, Danny Rose, Watford v Liverpool Premier League

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted that he hopes Mohamed Salah can continue to deliver for the Reds in the future, amid uncertainty over his contract.

The Egyptian is edging towards the final two years of his current deal at Anfield. While that would represent a great deal of time to sort out his situation, negotiations are proving tough.

Salah reportedly wants £400,000 per week in his new terms. And handing him those figures after 12 goals in 11 games this term would prove an easy decision to make.

However, the club’s owners fear a drop-off in form from Salah in his thirties. Given how shrewd Fenway Sports Group have been, they fear a lack of return from such a sizeable investment.

Still, Klopp does not harbour such concerns and compared his professionalism to that of Cristiano Ronaldo.

“You need luck, because things can happen with injuries and so on,” the manager told the Liverpool Echo. “But I think the professionalism of both Mo and Cristiano is the one thing you can compare 100 per cent.

“It is probably the same. Mo is incredibly professional. He is really the first one in and very often the last out of all the players.

“He is constantly interested in all the things he can do and has to do to keep or improve the standard. I think he still has a lot to give, 100 per cent.

“It helps him for sure and the team he is playing for them as well and I hope it is for us [in the future].”

Why securing Mohamed Salah down to new deal is urgent for Liverpool FC

Why securing Mohamed Salah down to new deal is urgent for Liverpool FC

Mo Salah's importance to Liverpool's success means that when it comes to contract negotiations, Liverpool should give him everything and anything he asks for.

Klopp made his comments before Sky Sports released an interview with Salah. The forward revealed that he wants to stay at Liverpool until he retires, but that a new contract is not in his hands.

He netted his 11th and 12th goals of the season in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.

Klopp hailed Salah’s first, in which he beat three Atletico defenders before scoring with a deflection, as a “special” moment.

Klopp hails Salah, Liverpool moment

Liverpool's Mo Salah celebrates his winner against Atletico Madrid

“It’s true that I have been blessed with incredible players during my time,” Klopp said.

“But no, when the ball went over all players in that situation and Mo had to already run pretty quick to get it before the sideline and then he turns, it didn’t look for me like a proper goalscoring opportunity to me.

“But challenge by challenge it developed into that. That’s the situation and that is the difference between a moment when momentum is not on your side and when momentum is on your side.

“It is all about the quality of Mo in this moment to do it, to try it and you can imagine how much all the players of Atletico knew about this ability and wanted to defend it desperately and still couldn’t do it.

“That is pretty special, pretty special.”

Liverpool return to action when facing Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.


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