Jamie Carragher has urged his former club Liverpool to prioritise Mohamed Salah’s contract extension despite the recent stalling of talks between the club and the player.
Salah was at his very best in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against the Premier League holders Manchester City on Sunday at Anfield with the Egypt international recording a goal and an assist to his name in what was a spectacular showing.
On the back of a superb start to the new campaign by Liverpool’s attacking mainstay, there has been some concerns in and around Anfield with respect to the speculation surrounding Salah’s long-term future on Merseyside.
The 29-year-old wide player is understood to be seeking a major wage bump in order to pen extended terms with Jurgen Klopp’s camp as Liverpool push for the former AS Roma man to rebuff interest from elsewhere in landing his signature next summer.
Player-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher, an ex-Anfield hero himself, has told Sky Sports that Salah is the ‘best in Europe’ and Liverpool cannot afford to let go of the Egyptian over his contract demands.
“I don’t think there’s anyone playing better in the world or in Europe at the moment.”
“His record at the start of this season has been absolutely outstanding.
“You can never really question him for what he’s done at Liverpool – if at all – but right now is as probably as sharp and as good as I’ve ever seen him.”
“His finish was world-class and he is world-class.
“I said this over the last couple of weeks – he is one of the greatest players to play for Liverpool. The club have lost Roger Hunt in the last few days, one of the greatest goalscorers the club has ever seen.
“Mo Salah is one of them, in terms of Ian Rush, Roger Hunt… Mo Salah is up there. He goes into a Liverpool greatest XI.
“You think of the greatest players Liverpool have had – he goes on that right side, there’s absolutely no doubt about it.
“I know the situation Liverpool are in. They don’t have the finances of Manchester City when you think of the wages they give out. But right now, Salah is playing as well as anyone in European football.
“Liverpool cannot afford to let his contract situation drag on, with the threat they could lose him in the next two years.
“This is a guy who really looks after himself, and you can see that when he takes his top off when he scores a goal.
“I’m not saying he’s going to be like Cristiano Ronaldo when he’s 35 or 36, still topping the goalscoring charts, but I think this lad’s got a lot in him as he goes into his 30s.
“It’s imperative that at his peak he’s still scoring goals in the red shirt of Liverpool.”
