Paul Merson believes it is 'criminal' that Liverpool have allowed three of the 'best players in their history' to see out their contracts, but believes it would be the wrong move to offer Mohamed Salah a new contract.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said this week that he was confident Salah remains fully focused on the biggest week of their season, despite the self-made headlines surrounding his contract situation.
After Sunday's win over Southampton, the Egypt international made a rare stop in front of reporters, saying: “We're almost into December and I haven't received any offers to stay at the club yet. I'm probably more out than in”.
Those comments took attention away from Real Madrid's Champions League visit, quickly followed by Manchester City's arrival at Anfield this weekend, and Salah was criticized by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher for his 'selfish' timing.
Speaking on Soccer Special, Merson has now had his say on the matter, believing Salah has the right to express his views, but adding that he would not offer the 32-year-old a new contract…
'I wouldn't offer Salah a new contract because of his age'
It is up to Salah whether he wants to speak out; it's his career. I think he has earned the right. He came out and said what he said, that's up to him. Yes, there are timings, but he dictates enough. He's playing well enough, his numbers are right, they're ridiculous, so why not? Why not?
Because sooner or later he will be the one who gets the stick. People will turn around and say, why didn't he sign? Why didn't he sign? And he says he wasn't offered.
Personally, I wouldn't give it to him. I wouldn't give it to him. I'm sorry, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't give him a two-year contract for $300,000 a week.
He's 32, he'll be 33 before the season is over. That means he's still playing at the age of 35.
I know people will say, 'If you get rid of him now and then you have to buy someone, sooner or later they have to buy someone, then you're just kicking it aside.'
Sooner or later you have to do it. For me, football changes because of fair play and all that. He has incredible pace. He's an incredible player. But in three years, two years, you can't get any faster.
What is Salah without his pace?
I saw Kyle Walker in Bournemouth last week. I've never seen anyone run past Kyle Walker. I didn't expect Usain Bolt to outrun him. And he was run past him. He is another year older.
You just get older, you get older. When you're Harry Kane, it's different. Harry Kane will play until he is 36, 37.
He drops off, he sees a pass, he can play. I don't think it gets better, right for Salah? It certainly couldn't be better.
However, there are no signs of decline, right? It can stay the same. It certainly won't get better. It certainly won't get better.
At this age I played my best football. From Villa at 28 to 32 I played my best football.
But it's still… In this game now, it's a little bit more of a younger man's sport, if you know what I mean. If you don't have a pace, it's very difficult now. Unless you are a midfielder who will play as number six and dictate the game.
Elsewhere on the field you have to be electric. You have to be electric. And I don't see it being electric in three years.
'Offering Salah 400k opens a can of worms'
He is 32 years old. He wants $300 or $400,000 a week.
Salah has scored so many goals in the last seven years, but they have won the Premier League once. They won it once. So it's not like we're going: if he starts scoring now, they will win.
It's hard to win the competition. It's hard. And for me it's his age.
If he were his age, I'd say take what you want.
I could put my body in a certain position. They were all allowed to take off their tops. You can't rely on their tops. You have to follow his pace.
They all have physiques like that, you know what I mean? That's possible, but they're not going to play like Salah. But the problem is that he will be.
'Salah will not have Alexander-Arnold behind him next season'
He is one of the best players. He's the best runner without the ball I've ever seen. One of the best I've seen. He makes runs when he doesn't have the ball as well as anyone else. Like that run he makes for that goal. He makes that run.
If he doesn't get the ball, he still gets it. He goes at 100 kilometers per hour. He doesn't jog or run.
He's going to 'pop'. He's the best I've seen without the ball making runs.
But how long can he keep doing that? How long? You also have to remember that he plays behind Trent Alexander-Arnold.
He played behind Trent Alexander-Arnold for seven years. In my opinion he has to be one of the best passers we have seen in the Premier League.
He won't be there next season.
So who suddenly gives him the ball? If he comes up short and turns, who will pass the ball? Then that diagonal ball. Will Van Dijk stay? We haven't signed yet. Every week that goes by, it's 100,000.
I mean, that's a lot of money, right?
'Criminal Liverpool has allowed triple contract saga to play out'
Salah is one of the best in the world. One of the best in the world. But it will open an absolute can of worms.
It's still two years. I'm looking forward to next year. I know we can say, 'Okay, now let's take a look.'
I know I'm a big believer in living in the moment. No one appreciates that more than me, living in the now. But it's okay to live in the moment and say, we'll give you $400,000 a week every week.
But you're not. You're going to give him $400,000 over the next 150 weeks. And that's the problem.
Currently they are winning every week. So nothing has been said about Van Dijk.
Nothing has been said about Trent Alexander-Arnold. Nothing has been said about Salah. They'll lose three at the trot and everyone will jump over them.
Why aren't they signed? But ultimately it's not their fault. People upstairs, I don't know what they did. In football terms, it is criminal that three of the best players play for Liverpool for a long period of time and their contracts all expire at the same time.
It's incredible.
Comments