Former England international Paul Gascoigne has accused Mohamed Salah of trying to avoid sustaining any injuries to ensure that he can leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
The winger has made a strong start to the season, scoring six goals and registering five assists in 10 appearances in all competitions, but he has not been able to influence matches with the same impact as years gone by.
With Arne Slot having fresh demands of his front line and Salah still producing the goods in the final third, Salah has been praised by many for how he has started the campaign. However, Gascoigne is not convinced by what he has seen from the Egypt international.
Instead, the 57-year-old believes that Salah’s ongoing contract situation could be playing a role in why Salah has fizzled out of matches uncharacteristically.
The winger is out of contract at the end of the season and it is unclear whether he would be willing to extend his stay at Anfield, with PSG, Real Madrid and several Saudi Pro League clubs said to be monitoring his situation closely.
Asked about Salah’s contract saga, Gascoigne told SportsCasting: “Salah, I don't know what’s happening with him this season, he just seems off the boil. That's what happens with a lot of players (when their contracts are expiring).
Mohamed Salah has hit the ground running under Arne Slot (Image: Getty)
“You get a lot of players who don't want to get involved too much because they'll be getting injuries. Look at me, in two days I was signing for Lazio and half an hour later I'm in the hospital with a ligament injury.”
Salah has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia over the past few seasons, with reports claiming that a £150million offer was lodged by Al-Ittihad in 2023.
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Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are out of contract at the end of the season (Image: Getty)
With the former Roma star set to become a free agent, the forward will not be short of interest in the Middle East, though top European outfits will certainly feel that the 32-year-old is capable of competing for silverware before winding his career down in a lesser league.
If Salah does not sign a new contract on Merseyside before January, he will be free to negotiate a pre-agreement with a foreign side for next summer. Similarly, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are set to become free agents at the end of the season as well.
