In a curious, rare post on social media, Mohamed Salah‘s agent Ramy Abbas Issa shot down claims over an exit – with a potential hint at his Liverpool future.
With his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah has now entered the final 18 months of his contract at Liverpool, and as such speculation has begun.
The 31-year-old is in supreme form again this season, with 18 goals and nine assists in 27 games so far, which has prompted calls for a contract extension.
Interest from Saudi Arabia has been a lingering threat, but as shown by Jordan Henderson‘s U-turn on a pioneering and in no way money-driven move to the Middle East, the lure of the Saudi Pro League is not all it seems.
Salah is clearly a hugely ambitious player, and with Liverpool fighting on four fronts this term, every indication is that his future is best served on Merseyside.
You just don’t know.
— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) January 8, 2024
His agent may agree, with Abbas bringing up an old post from Twitter ‘journalist’ Santi Aouna on Monday, disputing a claim that Salah is “open to leaving.”
The faceless account, which purports to bring exclusives for French outlet Foot Mercato, claimed in March that “in the event of departure, Salah favours Spain.”
Ten months later, Abbas has responded with four words: “You just don’t know.”
Given the claim was from early 2023, concerning last summer, and that it has already transpired to be false, Abbas’ reply seems a no brainer.
Salah was pointed in not pushing through any move to Saudi Arabia before the transfer deadline in September, while there was little concrete speculation over a switch to Spain.
But the timing of Abbas’ tweet could be telling, with there a growing sense that Liverpool’s No. 11 could go on to sign a new deal with the club.
With his current contract up in 2025, Liverpool will be engaging with Salah and his representative in the coming months to at least learn their stance over his future.
If Salah were to leave, the club would likely be required to sell in the summer to maintain any resale value and avoid the prospect of a free transfer.
But with Saudi Arabia no longer as attractive a proposition as it first may have seemed, there are few sides in world football who could offer what the Egyptian deserves as one of the best footballers in the world.
More so, there are even fewer who could offer Salah the level of competition and success that Liverpool can under Jurgen Klopp.
Could Abbas’ update be a subtle hint as negotiations begin over a new contract, perhaps?
