Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has blamed Jack Grealish for the club’s contract complications with Mohamed Salah as the Egyptian star’s deal is set to expire at the end of next season.
Salah’s future has been discussed at length in recent months with the 29-year-old yet to agree to a new deal with the Reds. When asked about the contract negotiations recently, Jurgen Klopp said that Liverpool 'cannot do much more' except wait for the forward's final decision.
The forward has been in fine form for Liverpool this season, scoring 31 times in 51 appearances in all competitions. The ECHO understands negotiations are ongoing between the forward's representatives and the club, with Salah about to enter the final 12 months of his current deal that was signed in 2018.
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The Reds are keen to reward the Egyptian for his continued outstanding contribution since arriving from A.S. Roma for £43.9million in the summer of 2017. Liverpool have extended the contracts of several players over the last year, including Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Salah did admit in the build-up to last week’s Champions League final against Real Madrid that, whatever happens, he will be a Liverpool player next season. And for Lawrenson, Manchester City’s signing of Grealish, for £100m from Aston Villa last summer, making him Britain’s most expensive footballer of all-time, has created a problem for the Reds.
“The real issue began when City signed Jack Grealish for £100m and everybody knows his wages,” Lawrenson told 888sport. “Mo’s agent probably then thought, well if Grealish is going there for £100m then my boy – who is a much better player and scores tons of goals – should at the very least be on what Grealish is.”
