Liverpool told Salah saga could cost them title as January transfer proposed

Liverpool have been warned that Mo Salah's contract saga could end up costing them the Premier League title - especially if they sell him in January.

Salah, 32, is out of contract at the end of this season, having scored 13 goals in 14 league games to put Liverpool top of the table by seven points. The Egyptian revealed last month that he's yet to be offered a new deal, meaning that he's on course to become a free agent in June 2025.

Liverpool would be losing one of their all-time greats for nothing, but the Reds could make the bold decision to sell him in the January transfer window in order to recoup a fee. That's a theory put forward by former Manchester United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen, who thinks that a 'huge bid' from Saudi Arabia would give Liverpool a decision to make.

The Reds previously rejected a £150million offer from Saudi giants Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023. But now there's a real threat of Salah leaving on a free, just like team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

"Mohamed Salah is unique, you can look at his age but also his current contribution, his injury record, how much he wants to play," Meulensteen told OLBG. "He is so important to Liverpool and they will drop without him. You can look at what he has achieved but it's about what he is currently achieving and what we can expect in the near future.

"What is his current contribution? Brilliant. If you took him out of the team it would be a huge set-back. He scores, he assists and I think the club needs to find some common ground.

"Liverpool would be silly not to get that sorted and it needs to be sooner rather than later. It would take all the speculation and uncertainty away in a moment in which they are winning and sitting top of the table. If things turn sour it can push things over the edge the wrong way, it's the same with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

"What I will say about Salah is that his future could be the reason they don't win the title. If a genuine offer comes in, maybe a huge bid from Saudi Arabia, during January and Liverpool decide they don't want to lose him for free – him walking out the door could cost them the title."

Salah was hoping to continue his run of blistering form in the Merseyside derby at Everton but the game was postponed due to safety concerns amid Storm Darragh. The Reds next face Girona away from home in the Champions League on Tuesday.