Jamie O'Hara has laid into Liverpool over their handling of Mohamed Salah's contract situation.
The Egyptian has been a star since arriving at Anfield but will now enter the final 12 months of his deal, thus leaving him free to depart for nothing next summer. Contract talks rumbled on for much of last season as Salah seeks a pay bump that would require the club to smash their wage structure.
Liverpool are reluctant to do so which leaves them at an impasse with the player and his representatives. Salah, who recently won a third Golden Boot, has become one of the world's leading lights on Merseyside and wants a salary that reflects that. Sadio Mane too was seeking a pay rise but was unable to achieve it, which saw him leave for Bayern Munich recently.
The Reds managed to make a profit on the Senegal star but will lose Salah for nothing if they do not agree a new deal in the coming months. O'Hara has labelled that situation as "unacceptable", especially given how well the club have conducted themselves in recent years.
He told TalkSport on Salah: "He's going into the final year of his contract, still hasn't signed a new deal, you've seen Mane leave. Now they recouped their money with Mane - good bit of business. He'd been at the football club, wanted to go in the end for whatever reasons, which will come out but I'm sure it was down to money.
"Now Salah could go on a free - that is unacceptable. Liverpool have set the benchmark for how to do business as a football club and they've done it brilliantly. But they've got to get this sorted out because Mo Salah cannot leave that football club on a free."
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Salah has confirmed he will remain at Anfield next term, but has given no assurances he will stay beyond that period. Liverpool have shown no appetite to offload the player, although there would no doubt be suitors if he were to be put on the market.
The Egyptian said before the Champions League final: "I have a contract until season so I'll be staying until then." He was then quizzed on whether that meant he would sign a new deal, but replied: "No, not yet, nothing at all."
Salah has scored 156 times since moving to Anfield, but Liverpool have bolstered their attack in recent years. Over the past 24 months they've added Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and, most recently, Darwin Nunez for a club-record fee from Benfica.
