Mohamed Salah insists he is determined to end on a high at Liverpool and win the Premier League in what he suggests is his final season at the club.
Salah is in red-hot form at the moment with Arne Slot’s side six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand ahead of their Super Sunday clash with Manchester United, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 4.30pm).
The 32-year-old is now top among Premier League players for both goals and assists this season, with 17 and 13 respectively, but his future remains uncertain as he enters the final six months of his contract.
Whatever happens, Salah, who wrote a list of his targets and ambitions for the season while on holiday last summer, wants to do “something special” for Liverpool and lift a second Premier League trophy for the club come May.
“The first thing that was on the list was to win the Premier League with Liverpool,” Salah told Sky Sports.
“In my interviews over the last seven or eight years, I always say [I want to win the] Champions League. But this is the first time I’m saying I really want to win the Premier League with Liverpool.”
It’s my last year in the club so you want to do something special for the city.
When asked why that is, he added: “I have no idea. It’s probably because we didn’t celebrate the one we won in the way we wanted and also, coming back here too, it’s my last year in the club so you want to do something special for the city.
“That was the thing in my head.
“We waited for that title for 30 years or so. So, to win it and it was the pandemic at that time, we didn’t really have time to celebrate it in the right way. It’s not a nice thing to do, so hopefully we can do it this year.”
Under previous boss Jurgen Klopp, Salah won almost every major club honour with Liverpool, securing a Premier League title, a Champions League, the FA Cup and two league cups. They also added a European Super Cup and a Club World Cup
However, Salah still believes this Liverpool team, which features almost half of the players who enjoyed so much success under Klopp, needs to win another trophy and in particular a second Premier League crown.
He said: “My motivation this year was to win a trophy and be a big part of winning that trophy, especially the Premier League.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates with the Premier League trophy
“I still believe the team needs a trophy. There is still half of the team left like me, Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Virgil [Van Dijk], Alisson, Robbo [Andy Robertson].
“It’s necessary for us to win another trophy before we all go.”
When asked if Liverpool need a second title to cement their legacy, he added: “Yes, definitely [to rubber stamp this Liverpool team as a great Premier League team].
“We’ve won almost everything, but we’ve won the Premier League once. Hopefully we can win it twice, which would be great.”
‘No progress on contract talks’
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Speaking after his side’s 5-0 win over West Ham, Salah insisted any agreement over a new Liverpool contract is ‘far away’
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk’s contracts are also set to expire in the summer but Salah’s stunning performances this season ensure he is dominating the headlines.
Salah has already said this season will be his “last year” at Liverpool, adding back in September that “nobody has talked to me” about his expiring contract.
Again on Sunday, he told Sky Sports he is still “far away” from agreeing a new contract with Liverpool after his player-of-the-match display in their 5-0 thrashing of West Ham and he reiterated the same thing.
When asked if he really believes this is his last season at the club, he said: “So far, yes. It’s the last six months.
“There is no progress there. We are far away from any progress.
“So, we just need to wait and see.”
The speculation has not been a distraction for Salah, who is in incredible form.
Sunday’s game against West Ham was the eighth this season in which he has both scored and assisted, which is already the most by any player in a single Premier League campaign.
He has also reached 30 goal involvements in only 18 Premier League games – the fewest by any player in the history of the competition.
His total of 52 goal involvements in all competitions in 2024 is the highest by any player in Europe’s major leagues.
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Alexander-Arnold sent Salah through on goal with a sublime pass in Liverpool’s Premier League clash with West Ham
When asked how he has kept his focus, he replied: “The thing in my head is that if this is the last six months, what do you want to see in the future?
“Do you want to look back and say I was concerned or stressed about the contract? Or do you just want to say I had an unbelievable season? That’s what is in my head.
“If I ever feel distraction, I just remind myself I want to look back and say I had an unbelievable season. That’s what I want to do.”
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Highlights from the Premier League clash between West Ham and Liverpool
‘I always expect big things of myself’
Liverpool boss Slot said Salah is the best player in the world right now and Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher believes the Egypt international is in pole position for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
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Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville discuss Mohamed Salah’s sensational start to the season and believe the Egyptian will be the frontrunner for the next Ballon d’Or next year if he maintains his form for Liverpool
Looking at the numbers, which are rivalling those of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Lionel Messi at Barcelona in their pomp, it is hard to argue, but Salah is not focused on individual awards.
“I am really motivated to win the Premier League,” he said.
“90 per cent of winning an individual award depends on your performance with the team and winning a trophy with the team. If you win with your team, you have a better chance to win a Ballon d’Or or something like that.
“The most important thing for me is to win the Premier League and to be a big part of that. I don’t just want to have a small part. I want to win it and then for people to say he made the difference and made the team win.
“Again, it’s not easy to do. Arsenal are catching us. Chelsea are catching us. Man City will come back for sure. It’s very tricky but we just have to stay focused, don’t take it for granted and keep working hard. Hopefully we’ll win it in the end.”
On his spectacular form and those incredible numbers he is hitting, he added: “I always expect big things from myself.
“I work really hard and when you work so hard you expect the best out of yourself. I always look to put myself really high so I expected high things from myself.
Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool’s fourth goal of the game against Tottenham
“I am very proud to see the numbers but you just have to forget it and stay humble.
“I don’t want to get to the end of the season and say I had unbelievable numbers but the team didn’t win anything. I just want to win the trophy and have the big numbers.”
Salah thriving on responsibility in Slot’s Liverpool
Liverpool players celebrate after Salah put Arne Slot’s team 3-0 up at West Ham
Salah believes a change of regime has also helped him and Liverpool this season.
Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool after 11 years as manager in the summer and Salah was him for seven extremely successful seasons at Anfield.
However, Salah believes Slot’s arrival has helped the team, suggesting the Dutchman’s tactical changes have added a new dimension to Liverpool, while the forward also believes he is thriving with more responsibility within the team.
“The new manager has come in with a new idea which helps the team,” he said.
“We’d been with Jurgen [Klopp] for seven years so maybe things have changed slightly which makes us all want it more and want to win more.
“That doesn’t mean we didn’t want to win more but change can help the team and I have never been motivated to win the Premier League like now.
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Salah says wherever he ends his career, he will be happy
On how Slot has helped him this season, he added: “The way we play is completely different.
“With Jurgen, we had one system all the time. We stuck to what we were doing with him, it didn’t matter what. We did that for seven to eight years.
“The new manager changes something slightly depending on the game. We didn’t do that before.
“In my game, the team relies on me a little bit more than before and somehow it is helping me express myself, play my game and improve some parts of it.”
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Mohamed Salah’s top 5 goals against Manchester United in the Premier League for Liverpool.
Liverpool’s bid to win a second Premier League title continues on Super Sunday when they host Manchester United at Anfield, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 4.30pm.
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