Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher has called on club's owners to extend Mohamed Salah’s contract sooner rather than later, insisting they will not be forgiven if he leaves.
The 29-year-old Egypt international has a contract with the Reds running until the summer of 2023, but according to Carragher, his situation not to renew his deal yet should be a worry to the club’s supporters.
The 43-year-old Carragher, who managed 508 appearances for Liverpool, also feels the team’s display in the 0-0 Carling Cup draw against Arsenal on Thursday, is also a clear indicator the club needs to tie down Salah to a long term deal as a matter of urgency.
Salah, who has so far managed 16 Premier League goals from 20 appearances, is away in Cameroon with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations alongside winger Sadio Mane and midfielder Naby Keita.
Egypt and Salah kicked off their campaign in the competition with a 1-0 defeat against Nigeria while Mane was on target from a stoppage-time penalty to help the Lions of Teranga sink Zimbabwe 1-0.
“Those two players [Salah and Mane] are obviously a big miss and this talk of Salah's contract will probably intensify even more because when he is not there, you see the effect it has,” Carragher said as quoted Sky Sports.
“As a Liverpool supporter, you should be wary that this [Salah's contract situation] is dragging on. Other big players at Liverpool have signed contracts in the last three or four months, the goalkeeper [Alisson Becker], Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Virgil van Dijk, huge figures in this team.
“Salah wants to be paid as well as any top player in the Premier League or world football, and why shouldn't he? He deserves that, we're talking about one of the best players in the world.
“The problem, and the angle Liverpool may be looking at it from, is where Salah would go? The Spanish giants [Real Madrid and Barcelona] are really out of the equation now given the problems they have financially.
“Would Salah leave and ruin his legacy by going to Manchester City or Manchester United? Probably not, so that's probably Liverpool's bargaining chip.”
"I would love this deal to be done as quickly as possible. You cannot forget the price Liverpool signed Salah for.
“It wasn’t as if they went and spent £100million, they did what they are great at and did a brilliant deal. The money they have invested in him already - transfer fee and wages - has been a snip.
“This is not a case of giving the player exactly what he wants, but Liverpool Football Club and the owners, I don’t think they would be forgiven if Salah left this club in the summer or in 18 months’ time.
“He’s a Liverpool legend, one of the greatest players the club has ever had, and it needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.”
With the final of the Afcon slated for February 9, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp will likely have to do without the services of the two if their respective teams progress to the final stage.