Klopp hints at Salah deal progress

Undoubtedly the best attacking player in modern Liverpool history, Mohamed Salah is a constant thorn in the side of opponents, loved by fans of the Reds and even revered by those of rival teams. His time at the club has been a huge success, combining exceptional individual success with marvellous team achievements, including the UEFA Champions League victory of 2018-19 and the long-awaited 2019-20 Premier League title triumph.

To say that Salah has been a vital ingredient for Liverpool would be an understatement, having consistently filled his appetite for goals, which has undoubtedly been a key factor towards making this team a genuine force to be reckoned with. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine the Reds without this uniquely talented player, which is entirely why there’s a growing sense of urgency surrounding a new deal.

Encouraging Signs for New Deal

Part of an ongoing strategy to tie down leading stars at the club, Liverpool has mostly been kept busy with contract renewals and extensions, rather than feel any need for excessive spending in the summer transfer window. At the time of writing and with a few days to go until the window closes, the Anfield hierarchy has only brought in Ibrakima Konaté, an important defensive reinforcement costing around £36 million from RB Leipzig.

Meanwhile, the major priority has been strengthening ties with the existing core group of players. Since mid-June this year, the net result is that several first-team squad members have extended their terms. Key players who penned new deals recently in August include Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Andy Robertson and Fabinho, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold in July, while backup had no hesitation increasing his commitment in June.

Jurgen Klopp confirms Mo Salah new contract talks to Liverpool Echo: “There are talks, yes – we’re working on it. With two years left you can imagine there are talks and that is it. Salah is in a good mood and hopefully it can stay like this”. 🔴 #LFC @anfieldwatch

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 20, 2021

As for the situation surrounding 29-year-old Salah, there were positive signs when Jurgen Klopp recently responded to questions about the Egyptian star, with the Liverpool boss even hinting that he’s taking more of a personal interest in this deal. That being said, the German coach was understandably cautious about revealing too much, save for praising the ability and professionalism of Salah.

What does appear to be clearer is that Liverpool won’t be taking any risks. On the face of things, there doesn’t appear to be any pressing urgency, given that Salah still has two years left on his current deal. Nevertheless, the club is eager to secure their prize player on a longer contract, therefore opening negotiations earlier makes absolute sense, even if it means pushing through the boundaries of existing wage limits.

Kings of Egypt

Thanks to his remarkable success with Liverpool over the last few years, Salah has become a pop culture icon in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, even going on to earn the “King of Egypt” nickname. While that may be true in football terms, despite the fact that horse racing is considered to be the “Sport of Kings” here in Britain, in certain Arabian countries they do things a little bit differently.

Sweeping across the MENA countries like a desert storm, camel racing has always been popular in Egypt, which is actually where many of the most successful beasts tend to originate. Incredibly, these ungainly creatures can actually hit speeds of higher than 40 km/h over short sprints, while top events held in the United Arab Emirates offer huge prizes to winning camels, even surpassing $2 million at some of the top races.

Due to strict gambling laws across MENA countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, betting on actual camel races can be somewhat difficult. However, thanks to the marvels of modern technology, fans have now discovered the excitement of virtual camel racing, emulating the real thing using 3D graphics and sophisticated random number generator (RNG) algorithms.

Software developer Global Bet has captured every detail, from camels kicking up dust and robot jockeys, to the fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers that speed around the outside of the track, encouraging the camels to run faster. Many of the best sites reviewed by Arabian Betting now offer virtual camel racing, which can usually be found in the virtual sports section at leading online bookmakers.

The Race to Keep Salah

Having enjoyed such a successful time at Liverpool, it comes as no surprise that Liverpool are keen to lock down the Egyptian talent for as long as they can. Already one of the top earners at the club, Salah could invest in his own stable of racing camels if he wanted to, although his focus right now is clearly securing his future. That being said, the Reds are preparing to make him the highest paid player in club history, with a new contract extension on the table.

Although the current five-year deal doesn’t expire until June 2023, the club and player are targeting a two-year addition until 2025, accompanied by a significant raise in wages. Should negotiations prove fruitful, it could mean Salah will stay put at Anfield, finally putting to rest any further rumours about his future, amidst constant speculation he could be a future target for both Real Madrid and Barcelona.