Jürgen Klopp on Mohamed Salah’s Contract Standstill: ‘It Is Mo’s Decision’

The Egyptian star’s current deal is up at the end of next season, and the two sides are reportedly at odds over new terms.

It appears as though the Mohamed Salah contract saga is truly at a standstill.

On Friday during his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said he is not worried over the current negotiations over a new contract for the star forward. 

However, Klopp repeated Salah’s previous claim that the ball is in the other party’s court with the clock ticking until the star’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023.

“Mo definitely expects this club to be ambitious,” Klopp said. “We were in the last few years and we are. … We cannot do much more. That’s how it is. I don’t think it’s about that. I think, meanwhile, it’s Mo’s decision. The club did what the club can do. There is nothing bad to say about it. It is all fine from my point of view. 

“… Nothing happened further, no signing, no rejection. We just have to wait for that. It’s completely fine, there’s no rush.”

Last month, Salah gave a similar statement, with the two sides at odds over his potential wages. 

“I want to stay, but it’s not in my hands,” Salah told GQ. “It’s in their hands. They know what I want. I’m not asking for crazy stuff.”

Now, The Guardian reports that talks have broken off entirely for the time being, and that Salah won’t sign a new deal unless the club improves its offer.

Salah currently leads the Premier League with 19 goals, seven more than the next leading scorer despite missing much of January while competing at the African Cup of Nations.

The Egyptian winger claimed the Premier League Golden Boot in 2017–18 with the most goals (32) in league history during a 38-game season, along with sharing the honors with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mané in 2018–19.