“It’s their own life” – Jurgen Klopp feels his contract extension at Liverpool will not be ‘decisive’ in contract talks with Salah and Mane
Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his new deal to stay on at the club won't be a decisive factor in Liverpool managing to tie down the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
The Reds have a long list of players whose contracts expire in the summer of 2023. Along with their two star forwards, Mane, Salah, Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita are also set to enter the final year of their deals.
Contract negotiations with the quartet have been dragging on for a long time but Klopp has insisted that his contract renewal won't impact their futures.
Liverpool fans have been treated to massive news of their charismatic manager committing his future at Anfield until the summer of 2026.
The German was previously contracted at Anfield until 2024 but has now extended his stay for two more years.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool's trip to Newcastle United, the German told the media, as quoted by Sky Sports:
"That is more a question for the boys, what it exactly means for them but all fine, my relationship with them is great.”
We are delighted to announce Jürgen Klopp has signed a new contract to extend his commitment with the club! 🔴
"My point is in life there are more important things to think about, not only who is the manager but knowing who the manager and coaching staff is is an important thing because when you know what you have with other clubs where you could go, you don’t know exactly."
"There is no 100 per cent in this business but I think it is pretty likely I will stay for a little bit longer because other coaches are there at other clubs."
Klopp insists that the players will welcome the news of him signing a new deal, but they will have to make their own decisions. He added:
"If it is a positive sign for the boys, great, but I don’t think this will be the one decisive thing for whatever decision they want to make."
"It is their own life but we just wanted to guarantee that everyone who wants to be here knows what he can expect."
Can Liverpool keep hold of their star players?
Liverpool definitely have a major headache to resolve with four of their star players set to enter the final year of their deals.
Mohamed Salah's contract saga has so been greatly discussed in recent months.
Jurgen Klopp didn’t want more money on his new contract when he asked for an extension, he simply just wanted to stay for longer. [@TheAthleticUK]
What a guy 👏
The Egyptian international strongly implied that he wants to stay at Anfield and it is not just about money for him.
However, there has not been much information in the public domain regarding contract talks with Mane, Firmino and Keita.
It will be interesting to see how Liverpool deal with the situation, but Klopp staying for at least four more years should help extension talks and not hinder them.