Mohamed Salah said he is still “far away” from resolving his future at Liverpool after scoring once and creating two more goals in a 5-0 win at West Ham that moved Arne Slot’s team eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Salah, 32, can open negotiations with non-English clubs from this Wednesday (Jan 1) about a free agent transfer at the end of the season with his existing contract due to expire on June 30.
Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also enter the final six months of their Anfield contracts this week. But despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his contract beyond next summer, Salah said his focus is on winning the title with Liverpool and that he is no closer to agreeing a new deal.
“No, we are far away from that [contract] and I don’t want to put anything in the media,” Salah told Sky Sports. “The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that.
“I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There are a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again.
“I am just trying to enjoy the game. At the end of the day I came here for the result and I wanted to do something in the game, but I am almost hungry for more.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he is unconcerned about the three senior players being able to talk to overseas clubs from Jan 1, saying that he believes he still has control over their destiny.
“I think I have a lot of control over what they do,” Slot said. “If they’re on a training pitch, if they’re in a meeting with me, but talking about their private lives, I don’t have control over them.
“So that was the situation I had a year ago. There’s been a situation as long as I’m a manager, but I have control to a certain extent over them from what I expect from them on the pitch and I’m really pleased to see what Virgil brings, what Trent brings and what Mo brings.
“Now the positive thing for me is that for four or five months it was only Trent Mo and Virgil, what you guys were talking about.
“And I assume, and don’t let me down please, that people now are going to talk about how many players we are going to bring in the upcoming month and which other player is going to leave. So I get some other questions as well. Not only about these!”
When asked if Liverpool had any plans for January, however, Slot said he is happy with the squad at his disposal.
“I said this six months ago and everybody goes, “Is this guy crazy?” Slot said. “But I think the players showed that the confidence the club and me as well had in them was well deserved.”
