Salah backed to follow in Ronaldo and Messi's footsteps

As Mohamed Salah continues to prove his money’s worth in front of goal, Jamie Carragher has told Liverpool why they should sort out his new contract ASAP.

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to tie Mohamed Salah down to a new long-term deal.

The former Reds defender thinks Salah can emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s longevity by continuing to supply the goals for Liverpool into his mid-thirties.

The 29-year-old Egyptian is out of contract on June 2023. Liverpool are working on a new deal but talks are yet to bear fruit, prompting fears of an exit next summer or as a free agent in two years’ time.

“Everything about Salah suggests that unless he suffers serious injury he is in such perfect physical shape and such a professional on and off the pitch, he will still be producing until he is 33, and probably for a couple of years beyond that,” Carragher told The Telegraph.

“Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are an inspiration to their peers, showing how the early 30s are no barrier to enduring excellence.

“Salah’s agent has a compelling argument for expecting his client to be paid a salary worthy of the most valuable Premier League players like Kevin De Bruyne.

“He is entitled to believe Salah ought to be rewarded for what he has done so far for Liverpool, helping the club earn millions in Premier League and UEFA prize money, allied to the promise of what he will go on to achieve this season, next and – if a deal is struck – a further two years.

“Equally, in the search for a middle ground, perhaps Salah and his representatives must acknowledge Liverpool helped him fulfil his potential as much as he has helped Liverpool fulfil theirs.

“Where would he go that would suit him as perfectly as Anfield? Only Man City, [Manchester] United and PSG can afford the kind of mega salary Salah is hoping for. Would they pay him that when he is 31 in 2023?

“Would Salah really want to join one of the Manchester clubs and tarnish his Anfield legacy?”

Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all signed long-term deals at Liverpool recently.