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Michael Owen on why it's unlikely Mo Salah will leave Liverpool
Liverpool are negotiating a new deal with Mohamed Salah from a strong position, making a resolution likely in the eyes of ex-player Michael Owen.
Michael Owen thinks that Mohamed Salah will stay at Liverpool because Manchester City are the only club in world football at the moment who can compete on the same level as his old club.
Salah's reported £200,000-per-week contract expires in 2023, and Liverpool have so far failed to agree new terms with their superstar winger. Talks are ongoing with manager Jürgen Klopp explaining recently that such processes are complex and drawn-out affairs with more than one side to take into account. "We know, I know that Mo wants to stay. We want Mo to stay. That's where we are," the Reds boss told reporters a couple of months ago. "These things take time - I cannot change that, sorry. I think it is in a good place, I have nothing else to say. I'm very positive about it".
Salah: goals and silverware
No player can match Salah's Premier League goals (115) or goal involvements (158) since he moved to Anfield in 2017, during which time the Egypt international has also played his part in Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and EFL Carabao Cup triumphs.
There is therefore understandable concern among Liverpool supporters as they wait for updates on the 29-year-old's future. However, Owen, who scored 118 of his 150 Premier League goals during his time at Liverpool, suggests they need not worry. He argues that only a remarkable – and highly unlikely – switch to Pep Guardiola's Man City would make sense for Salah. Owen expects the player and his current employers to reach an agreement.
"I'd be very surprised if Mo Salah didn't sign with Liverpool," Owen told BBC Sport. "What are the options at the moment? You are only going either sideways to Manchester City or down anywhere else, because there is no-one else as good as these two teams in the world at the moment. Let's give everyone time, because these things don't happen overnight. You are talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the biggest players in the world, and that player is about to sign the biggest contract of his life. I think it's entirely normal that negotiations can drag on a little bit."