‘The message was…’ – Romano shares ‘behind the scenes’ claim about Mo Salah contract talks | OneFootball

After many months of nervous waiting, it now looks as though Mo Salah will sign a contract extension at Liverpool.

On Wednesday, The Times’ Paul Joyce broke the news that the Egyptian and Virgil van Dijk are both close to agreeing new deals at Anfield, with the duo set to remain at the club for at least two more years.

The 32-year-old had been the subject of much transfer speculation while the uncertainty over his Merseyside future lingered, with Saudi Pro League chiefs bullishly voicing their confidence of luring him to the Middle East as recently as last week, but now it appears that the saga is finally nearing its conclusion.

Salah had always been eager to secure new Liverpool contract

In an update on his eponymous YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano outlined that Salah had always wanted to extend his contract at Liverpool and had simply been trying to ensure that he received an offer with which he was satisfied.

The transfer reporter explained: “From Saudi they were more than aggressive for Mo Salah, prepared to offer him crazy money – not exactly the same amount they would love to offer one day to Vincius Junior one day, but close to that.

“Mo has been super respectful to Liverpool, because behind the scenes he was never advancing in negotiations with Saudi, not even with European clubs potentially interested.

“For Mo Salah the message was always clear: ‘I want to stay.’ That’s what he told the club, but obviously also financially he wanted an important contract and they’ve been able to reach an agreement. The final details are being sorted but everything is really at the final, final, final steps. Everything is going to be signed soon.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Salah contract breakthrough will come as enormous relief to Liverpool fans

The collective sense of relief among Liverpool fans on Wednesday evening when the news came through about Salah and Van Dijk was enormous. Although their impending contract extensions haven’t been made official just yet, it already feels as though a huge weight has been lifted off supporters’ shoulders.

When roughly 60,000 Kopites descend on Anfield for the match against West Ham on Sunday, they’ll do so knowing that two of the club’s greatest players of any era look set to stay for a couple more years, which’ll hopefully contribute towards a celebratory atmosphere at the stadium after a difficult month on the pitch.

When the Egyptian told reporters after the win over Southampton in November that he was ‘probably more out than in’ and that he’d yet to be offered a new deal at that point, Reds fans may have feared that a parting of the ways in 2025 seemed inevitable.

Thankfully that now seems to have been nothing more than an honest assessment at the time, and perhaps a bit of brinkmanship to put external pressure on FSG to resolve his contract situation in the knowledge that – for the most part – the fan base would be on his side rather than the club’s.

At last it appears as though we have clarity on the futures of the three players whose deals are running out, and the news that Salah and Van Dijk are set to stay put offers quite the boost going into the final six weeks of a potentially glorious Premier League season.