LONDON – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he is “happy” with Mohamed Salah’s contract situation.
British media reports recently suggested that the Egypt forward, currently on a deal that will keep him at Anfield to 2023, was close to agreeing a new contract that would keep him with Liverpool until the end of his career.
Klopp, asked about the 29-year-old star striker’s contract position at his pre-match press conference: “I’m happy with it because there’s nothing new to say.
“It is good. The decisive parties are talking to each other and that’s all I need.”
While Salah is Liverpool’s top-scorer this season with 28 goals in all competitions, he has only netted once – with a penalty – since February.
And Klopp added: “He might not have scored from open play, but it’s not too important. The performance level is, for me, important.
“In moments, he could decide sometimes in a better way, no doubt, but it is a tough gig for Salah and Sadio Mane, with the African Cup of Nations, coming back, being immediately for us available again. That was really, really special.
“We see him every day in training and playing and there’s nothing to worry about, apart from that we have to manage the physical part as well.”
Liverpool will play Benfica away and home either side of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Manchester City, who they trail by a point at the top of the table.
The Reds then meet City again on Saturday, April 16 in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Klopp, whose side won the League Cup in February, said – when asked about the mental side for his players of dealing with big game after big game: “We are used to it and we enjoy it.
“At the moment it’s very exciting and interesting. There’s no problem with that, it’s all good. It’s the situation we dreamed of if we would have dreamed before the season. So now we are here, let’s try to get the most (out) of it.”
And the German said: “I would love to say we were (league) champions in 2019 as well and that we won the Champions League final in 2018 (they finished runner-up in both), so that all would have been great. But I don’t judge my time here about the trophies too much.
“I know everybody else is doing that, but for me it is the way we play and develop and the way the club is, the position the club is in is much more important. It is a healthy club in a good situation.
“I know the stories on us are very positive in the moment and rightly so, the boys deserve it, but we all know one failure, one little wrong step and at least one competition could be gone so we have to make sure.
“We just feel ready for the next challenge and that’s all I need.
“There is no big celebration about the development of the club in the last few years, it’s just really serious work and I am very, very happy about that.”
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