"That's a big part of his focus as a player" - Carragher names 'biggest' reason why Mohamed Salah will sign new Liverpool contract
Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has opened up about the biggest reason why Mohamed Salah will likely sign a new contract with the Reds. The Englishman believes that the possibility of breaking more Premier League records would play a big role in convincing the star attacker to stay at Anfield.
Salah is already in the final year of his contract with Liverpool. The Egyptian's future has become a subject of speculation, with reports already linking him with a potential switch to Saudi Arabia.
Regardless, Jamie Carragher expects the 32-year-old to stay at Anfield, explaining that the player would have his eyes on matching the likes of Frank Lampard and Thierry Henry on the list of the Premier League's all-time top scorers.
“He’ll have an eye on Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard by the end of this season, I would imagine, and I think stats like this are one of the biggest reasons why Mo Salah will sign a new contract at Liverpool,” Carragher told Sky Sports via Teamtalk.
“Of course, they’ll be talking about money and length of contract, but I think these are the things that really get the juices flowing for Mo Salah. He breaks all the records at Liverpool, and getting as far as he can up those lists, I think that’s a big part of his focus as a player," he added.
Speaking after Liverpool's 3-0 win over Manchester United this season, Mohamed Salah revealed that no one at the club has spoken to him about contract renewal.
“I was coming to the game, I was saying, ‘look, it could be the last time,'" he said via Teamtalk.
“Nobody in the club talked to me yet about contracts so I was just like, ‘OK, I play my last season and see at the end of the season’. I feel I am free to play football – we will see what happens next year,” added the Egyptian.
That said, it is worth noting that the winger now has 162 Premier League goals to his name, placing him in the ninth spot tied with Jermaine Defoe in the Premier League's all-time goal scorers chart. He is just one goal behind Robbie Fowler, 13 behind seventh-placed Thierry Henry and 15 adrift sixth-placed Frank Lampard.
He, however, has a long way to go to match Alan Shearer who tops the list with a whopping 260 strikes.
Mohamed Salah's numbers for Liverpool so far this season
Mohamed Salah struck once again and assisted another as Liverpool picked up a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield in the Premier League yesterday (October 20). The Egyptian has now featured in all of the club's matches in the current season, holding on to his status as an undisputable figure in the team.
So far, he's recorded seven goals and six assists to his name in 11 appearances for the Reds across all competitions this season. That includes five goals and as many assists in eight Premier League outings, one goal and assist each in two Champions League games as well as one strike in the EFL Cup.
Up next, Arne Slot's men will go toe-to-toe with RB Leipzig in the Champions League this week on Wednesday (October 23) at the Red Bull Arena. Salah is expected to lead the attack once again and it remains to be seen if he can inspire them to another important victory.