Mohamed Salah 'very close' to Liverpool agreement as length of new contract emerges

Liverpool are closing in on a new contract for Mohamed Salah after making a breakthrough in negotiations, according to reports. His current deal will expire at the end of the campaign, which has led to speculation that he could walk away from Anfield on a free transfer. A potential move to Saudi Arabia has been mooted as a possibility, with Al-Ittihad thought to be keen admirers.

However, it seems the long-running saga could finally be about to end after many months of uncertainty. Salah is now expected to sign a two-year extension which will keep him at Liverpool until the summer of 2027, according to Foot Mercato. The report states that a final agreement between the two parties is 'very close'.

While there are no details about his potential new salary, it is claimed that Salah is on the verge of 'getting what he has wanted for several months'. He is already Liverpool's highest earner, taking home around £350,000 per week under the terms of his current deal.

It comes after Salah was spotted filming a video with Liverpool's media team ahead of the Merseyside derby. Clips on social media show the 32-year-old decked out in his training kit, fuelling rumours that it could be in preparation for some sort of announcement.

Salah has arguably been the world's best player this season, contributing with 32 goals and 22 assists for Liverpool in all competitions. He has almost single-handedly led their attacking charge, helping the Reds to pull clear in the Premier League title race.

While it now seems likely that Salah will stay at Liverpool, there is less certainty around the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. Both players will be out of contract in the summer and have not agreed to extend their deals as of yet.

Alexander-Arnold is widely expected to leave Anfield and join Real Madrid on a free transfer, where a five-year contract will be waiting for him. Liverpool boss Arne Slot was quizzed on the potential move on Tuesday and kept his cards close to his chest.

"[Alexander-Arnold's] situation is unfortunately that he’s injured," he said. "For him, that means he is fully focused on his recovery. We’re trying to help him come back as soon as possible.

"For months the discussion about those three players went up and down but we’ve never been focused on that. For Virgil and Mo, their focus is on trying to win the derby. For Trent, his focus is on trying to recover as quickly as possible.

"The situation has been there for eight or nine months. The players have performed so well under these circumstances. It doesn’t affect me at all. I always try to be rational and judge the situation."