Jamie Carragher is confident Mohamed Salah will sign a new contract with Liverpool as speculation about his future continues.
The forward, who will captain Egypt in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Sadio Mane ’s Senegal, is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and yet to agree new terms despite speaking publicly about his desire to stay at Anfield.
Free to speak to overseas clubs regarding a pre-contract agreement in less than a year, supporters are understandably anxious at the prospect of the Egyptian King leaving the Reds - either for a cut-price fee or on a free transfer at the end of his current deal.
But Carragher is confident that the 29-year-old will stay put and trusts Liverpool owners FSG to get the deal done.
“18 months is a long time, it really is,” the Reds legend insisted in an exclusive interview with the ECHO. “I think Mo Salah is the one you want to get sorted first, possibly more so than the others (Mane and Roberto Firmino ).
READ MORE: 'Not a good deal' - ex-Porto star makes Luis Diaz claim after Liverpool transfer
“You look at him and Mane now in the Africa Cup of Nations final, two of the best attackers in world football, and the service they’ve given the club. Hopefully we can get a few more years out of them.
“But I always trust Liverpool as a club in terms of buying, selling and sorting contracts out. I think we’re the best at it so I’m not panicking at all. I’ve got great faith in FSG.
“Michael Edwards is obviously moving on but you’ve got Julian Ward there now and Jurgen Klopp. It’s a brilliant team that we’ve got behind the scenes and I think we should just trust them.”
He continued: “As a player I think we’re all a little bit selfish when it comes to situations like contracts. You look after yourself but if I’m in that dressing room and Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard signs a new contract, I’m delighted.
“And I’m sure everyone in that dressing room now will be desperate for Mo Salah to sign a new contract as well as Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino as well.
“These are legends of this club and we’ll be talking about them in 20-30 years, that’s how good they’ve been.
“But nothing lasts forever and that’s why Liverpool have done such really good business with Luis Diaz because maybe, who knows, at the end of the season or the year after one of the front three will move on. They’re at that age in football.
“But if you’re another player in that squad, you’ll be absolutely delighted if those players join the other five or six, or whatever it is, in signing new contracts and it bodes well for Liverpool’s future.”
Liverpool had been expected to enjoy a quiet January on the transfer front before catching out the footballing world with the £49m arrival of Luis Diaz from FC Porto late in the month.
And Carragher was full of praise for the Reds again managing to conduct such a high-profile transfer under the radar when giving his view on the Colombia international.
“Brilliant and it was typical Liverpool,” he said. “There was no real speculation that Liverpool were going to sign anyone and that’s what really impresses me about Liverpool as a club and how they do their transfer business.
“It’s done, they’re clinical, they do it and it’s been a great success story in the last five or six years what Liverpool do transfers-wise.
“I know sometimes people get frustrated because we’re not buying lots of players but the way we do it, the way we go about it, I think it’s really impressive.
“The signing, who knows but more often than not Jurgen Klopp and the people making the transfer decisions get it right and I’m sure this will be the same.
“It could be a turning point but I think the signing isn't just for right now, it’ll be how good Luis Diaz does over the next five or six years.
“Does he eventually break into that so-called front three if you like? Jota’s done that, can Luis Diaz be the next one to do that?
“I think it does provide much better strength behind the front four if one of them is ruled out or you’re making a change from the bench.
“I think it makes a huge difference because we very rarely bring someone off the bench who is on par with someone who is already on the pitch. I think this is definitely the case now.”
Despite Diaz’s arrival, Carragher is still sticking to his pre-season prediction that Man City will pip Liverpool to the Premier League title this season.
Insisting the Reds have to win at the Etihad in April to stand any chance of catching up the reigning champions, he then backed Jurgen Klopp’s side to follow in his and some of his former team-mates’ footsteps by winning a famous cup treble instead.
“I said it was out of reach and that City would win the league and I still do think City will win the league,” he admitted. “But with Liverpool winning their game and City dropping a couple of points, it brings it a bit closer.
“I think Liverpool would have to win at Man City, which they are more than capable of doing. They’ve done it before. It’s an outside chance. City are a brilliant team but Liverpool are a brilliant team as well.
“Hopefully Luis Diaz being involved can help Liverpool on that front and push City a little bit more.
“There’s still loads for them to go for. They’re still involved in three cup competitions. I know myself, we won three cup competitions in 2001 and it was an unbelievable season.
“And this would be an unbelievable season if Liverpool could win three cup competitions. It’s a tough ask but we’re in a cup final. I think we can win the others as well.
“We’re as good as any team in Europe and any team in the Premier League so there’s still plenty to play for.”
Jamie Carragher was speaking to the Liverpool ECHO at an ECG testing pilot event in association with The 23 Foundation, The Oliver King Foundation and Pall Mall Medical
