Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes that Mohamed Salah will remain at Anfield beyond this season despite the uncertainty surrounding the winger’s future at the club, Soccernet.football reports.
The 32-year-old Egyptian’s current deal expires at the end of the campaign, and he has openly hinted at the possibility of leaving the club. Salah has been in exceptional form, contributing 31 Premier League goal involvements (18G, 13A) this season, the highest in the league.
He has also created 38 chances this season, ranking seventh in the league, and taken 74 shots, only behind Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo. Former boss Klopp, who brought Salah to Liverpool from Roma back in 2017, remains optimistic about the striker extending his time at the club.
“I hope he stays,” Klopp said at his first press conference as Red Bull’s head of global soccer as per TNT Sports.
“He is the biggest striker Liverpool had in modern times – obviously, there were other good strikers, really good strikers.
“But a fantastic player, fantastic human being, outstanding athlete, best ambassador your country could have.
“Fantastic, really in pretty much all departments. So, I hope he will stay at Liverpool.”
Alongside Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, promoted to Liverpool’s first team by Klopp, and Virgil van Dijk, signed by the German from Southampton, have also entered the final six months of their contracts.
Klopp admitted that he would like to see all three players extend their contracts while also praising Arne Slot’s impact at Anfield, labelling Liverpool the most-balanced team in the world.
“I’m so happy they’re doing well,” Klopp said. “I’m in contact with Arne [Slot] and some players texting. There’s 0.1% thinking I should still be there, as they are doing so well.
“I am watching as many games as I can as it is such good football, maybe the best-balanced team in the world right now.
“I am so happy I am not in charge right now to answer these questions and, from my point of view, I hope all three extend, but they did not tell me.”