Salah signs new long-term contract with Liverpool

Liverpool announced Monday that Mohamed Salah has signed a new long-term contract. It will reportedly keep the Egyptian star at Anfield for the next five years.

There was plenty of interest, specifically from Real Madrid, in luring Salah away from the Merseyside club after his historic debut season.

But Liverpool has temporarily quelled speculation over his future by getting the 26-year-old to put pen to paper on a contract that lasts until 2023, according to The Guardian’s Andy Hunter.

It’s believed that negotiations over an improved contract kicked off in the weeks before the Premier League season ended with Liverpool securing a top-four finish. The Reds went on to feature in the Champions League final but lost to Real Madrid in a match that Salah was forced to leave early because of a shoulder injury.

Although financial details were not disclosed by the club, Salah reportedly had his pay doubled to £200,000 per week. The new deal is not believed to include a release clause.

Manager Jurgen Klopp believes that Salah’s commitment to Liverpool is an indication of the club’s growth and ability to retain its stars following the high-profile departures of world-class players such as Luis Suarez and, most recently, Philippe Coutinho.

“It demonstrates two things very clearly also: his belief in Liverpool and our belief in him,” Klopp told the team’s website.

“We want world-class talent to see they have a home at Anfield where they can fulfill all their professional dreams and ambitions – we are working hard together to achieve this.

“When someone like Mo Salah commits and says this place is my home now, it speaks very loudly I think.

“Equally, our commitment to him says we see his value and want him to grow even more and get even better within our environment.”

After he was labelled a flop during a brief spell at Chelsea, Salah went on to find success at Fiorentina and Roma before Liverpool signed him last summer.

An initial fee of €42 million ended up being one of the bargains of the century, as Salah went on to break the Premier League single-season scoring record by finding the back of the net 32 times.

Along with winning the PFA Player of the Year award, Salah could very well be the player to end Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or duopoly when the game’s most coveted individual honour is awarded later this year.