‘League of his own’: Salah breaks PL record but drops latest hint about possible Liverpool exit

Mohamed Salah dropped another hint that his future could lie away from Liverpool as the Egypt star said he would be happy “wherever I am going to end my career” after starring in Sunday’s 6-3 demolition of Tottenham.

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Salah scored twice and provided two assists in the goal-spree in north London as Liverpool moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The 32-year-old is the first Premier League player to bag at least 10 goals and 10 assists before Christmas, while his brace also took him into fourth place on Liverpool’s all-time list of scorers with 229 in all competitions.

“He is, quite frankly, a phenomenon,” The UK Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt wrote.

“There is time for another statistic. In terms of overall goal contributions, in all competitions, Salah has an astonishing 33 in this campaign already. The next highest? Bukayo Saka with 22. The Egyptian really is in a league of his own.”

Salah’s immense value to Arne Slot’s team is clear, but Liverpool have been unable to persuade the forward to sign a new contract as speculation mounts about his future.

With Salah’s current deal expiring at the end of this season, he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January.

Salah has been linked with French giants Paris Saint-Germain as well as Saudi Arabian teams, and he has already made several comments earlier this season about this potentially being his last campaign with Liverpool.

Post-match on Sunday, Salah once again made a cryptic reference to his future.

“It’s great to achieve that at such a big club, but the most important thing is that we won the game. Wherever I am going to end my career I am happy about it,” he told Sky Sports.

Salah added that there was “no update” on his contract situation, but Slot will surely be desperate to extend his talisman’s seven-year stay on Merseyside after he took his goal tally to 18 in all competitions this term.

“Salah’s contract situation, with his current deal running out next June, has been well-discussed but the 32-year-old could do well to take a leaf out of Kevin De Bruyne’s playbook when it comes to negotiations,” Burt wrote in the UK Telegraph.

“With his last deal at Manchester City, which also expires at the end of this campaign, De Bruyne brought up the data to reinforce his worth. Salah can simply say to Liverpool: “look at my numbers. Look at the facts”.

With Salah to the fore, Liverpool have won 21 of their 25 games in all competitions since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as manager.

“I didn’t think about it before the game but I’m glad I have done it, something that makes me proud, I’ll keep working hard,” Salah said of reaching double figures in goals and assists this season.

Salah was less happy with Liverpool’s defending against Tottenham, adding: “We were quite good in front but I think we need to improve defensively as a team.

“Conceding three goals is quite hard. It’s quite good the result and hopefully we just keep going.”

Salah’s teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold has also been linked with a move away from Anfield, with the right back rumoured to be on Real Madrid’s radar.

Several Liverpool people are becoming more resigned to the losing the star duo, as well as a possible exit for star defender Virgil van Dijk whose contract also expires in June.

Former Reds defender Neil Ruddock believes “you can’t blame them” for looking elsewhere despite sitting top of the Premier League.

“Players come to the end of their contracts but I’m sure they’ve been talking, you don’t leave it until after Christmas, I’m sure there’s a lot going on,” Ruddock told FourFourTwo.

“I’m sure Liverpool are trying their hardest to keep the three of them there, but as a footballer, you can’t blame them if they want to taste playing abroad, playing for Real Madrid – for a young player like Trent, you can’t really blame him.

“For the older lads like Salah, I can also understand. Why would you stay a couple more years if you don’t think you’re going to be the player you were and you lose that hero status?

“There will be a lot of conversations going on between the players, the people who look after them and the club, there’s a lot to weigh up. For all three of them, I hope they stay, but you can also understand it if they go.”