After months of uncertainty, Mohamed Salah put pen to paper on a new Liverpool contract earlier this summer, but Jurgen Klopp says both he and the Egyptian always knew he would stay.
Liverpool’s talisman was due to enter the final year of his previous contract this summer, but extended his stay at the club until 2025 by signing a new deal on July 1.
Reports at the time suggested Salah’s contract could see him earn a weekly wage in excess of £350,000 per week, more than any other player in the club’s history.
Contract negotiations were very much in the public eye, not helped by Ramy Abbas Issa, Salah’s representative, who enjoyed the reaction to the numerous cryptic posts from his Twitter account.
At one stage, there were serious doubts among supporters that Salah would stay, but Klopp has now claimed both he and the player knew “all the time” that talks would reach a positive conclusion.
"I'm as happy as the Arabic World!" ?
Jürgen Klopp has revealed his joy at Mo Salah signing a new long-term deal and explained why he never had any doubt that the Egyptian King would commit his future to Liverpool.
? @zmansour75 #beINPL #LFC pic.twitter.com/IUFtUIiu6k
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) July 29, 2022
“Over the moon. I’m as happy as the Arabic world – let me say it like this,” Klopp said to beIN Sports when told Salah’s new deal was “massive news” in the Arab region.
“It’s cool, it’s a massive signing. It felt really good. He looks really happy.
“By the way, Mo always looked happy. I never got the feeling that he was sitting there – it was never like this. Mo and I, we knew exactly where we were in negotiations.”
Klopp also claims the lengthy talks were not solely down to wages and has suggested he always knew Salah would end up staying.
“I said it a couple of times, I know how the outside world sees it always, it was not all about money, but money is important as well,” he continued.
“Mo and I knew pretty much all the time that he will stay in the end. And then when it happened, it was nice to get the confirmation.”
Salah was always very clear about his intentions to remain at Liverpool and you have to wonder where he’d have gone if no agreement over a new deal was reached.
Regardless, after a struggle for form towards the end of the previous campaign, Liverpool’s No. 11 has looked razor sharp in pre-season, perhaps buoyed by the resolution of his contract.
Here’s to many more memories with Mo!
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