If this is Mohamed Salah's final season at Liverpool, he is going out in style.
The Egypt striker scored his 50th European goal for Liverpool and his 22nd in all competitions this season to help Arne Slot's team secure a place in the Champions League round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Lille on Tuesday.
“Hopefully (it's) not the last one,” said Salah, whose contract expires at the end of the season and has increasingly raised the prospect that this could be his last with the Merseyside club.
Despite being at his brilliant best for a Liverpool team that is top of the standings in the Champions League and the Premier League, the 32-year-old Salah has just months remaining until he becomes a free agent.
Negotiations
Salah, who signed a three-year contract in 2022, has been free to talk to clubs outside of England from Jan. 1. He has indicated his preference is to stay at Liverpool but in recent months has used media interviews to voice his frustration over the failure to reach an agreement.
Earlier his month he said there was “far away” from progress.
Asked after his landmark goal against Lille if he would stay long enough to score another 50, he said: “I'm not sure about that, but I will give it my best.”
What's the holdup?
That isn't clear.
At the age of 32, this could be Salah's last major contract and it isn’t known how much money he would want to remain at Anfield, where he has established himself as a club icon after winning a full set of trophies including the Champions League and the Premier League since joining from Roma in 2017.
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There are potential risks to giving long-term contracts to players in their 30s. But there is no sign of Salah's standards dipping. He has been pivotal to Liverpool’s success this season and is currently leading the scoring charts in the Premier League ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
With his goal against Lille, he became the first Liverpool player to score 50 in Europe competitions.
What does Arne Slot say?
It feels like the Liverpool manager has constantly had to field questions about the future of his star player.
After Salah's latest moment of brilliance — sweeping a shot past Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier to put Liverpool 1-0 up in the 34th minute — Slot piled more praise on his striker.
“Special, I think is the word that describes Mo's performance at this club the best — or maybe there are even better words to use, but he’s been outstanding for this club for so many years.”
What are his options?
Salah can talk to teams outside of England and was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent years.
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As a free agent, he would likely have many suitors among Europe's biggest clubs.
Contract headaches
Salah is not the only Liverpool star with an expiring contract. Captain Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also in the final months of their deals.