Liverpool shouldn’t offer Mohamed Salah new contract – but it’s criminal club have allowed deal to run down, says Paul Merson

Paul Merson believes it is “criminal” Liverpool have allowed three of the “best players in their history” to wind their contracts down – but feels it would be the wrong move to offer Mohamed Salah a new deal.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said this week he felt confident Salah remains fully focused on the biggest week of their season despite the self-made headlines about his contract situation.

After Sunday’s win at Southampton, the Egypt international made a rare stop for reporters and said: “We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in”.

Those comments took the focus away from the Champions League visit of Real Madrid, followed quickly by Manchester City coming to Anfield at the weekend, and Salah was criticised by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher for his “selfish” timing.

Speaking on Soccer Special, Merson has now had his say on the matter, believing Salah is entitled to speak his mind – but added that he would not offer the 32-year-old a new contract…

‘I wouldn’t offer Salah new deal because of his age’

It’s up to Salah if he wants to speak out – it’s his career. I think he’s earned the right to. He’s come out and said what he said, that’s up to him. Yes, there’s timings, but he’s dictating enough. He’s playing well enough, his numbers are right up there, they’ve been ridiculous, so why not? Why not?

Because sooner or later, he’ll be the one getting the stick. People will be turning around going, why hasn’t he signed? Why has he not signed? And he’s said he hasn’t been offered.

Personally, I wouldn’t give him it. I wouldn’t give him it. I’m sorry, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t give him a two-year contract on three-400 grand a week.

He’s 32, he’s going to be 33 before the season finishes. That means he’s going to still be playing at 35 years of age.

I know people will say, ‘if you got rid of him now, and then you’ve got to go and buy someone, they have to buy someone sooner or later, you’re only kicking it down the road’.

Sooner or later, you’ve got to do it. For me, with the fair play and everything, football changes. He’s got unbelievable pace. He’s an unbelievable player. But in three years, two years time, you can’t get quicker.

What is Salah without his pace?

I watched Kyle Walker at Bournemouth the other week. I’ve never seen anybody run past Kyle Walker. I wouldn’t expect Usain Bolt to run past him. And he got run past him. He’s another year older.

You just get older, you get older. If you’re Harry Kane, it’s different. Harry Kane will play until he’s 36, 37.

He drops off, he can see a pass, he can play. I don’t think it gets better, does it, for Salah? It can’t get better, surely.

There’s no sign of a decline, though, is there? It might stay the same. It definitely won’t get better. Surely it won’t get better.

I played my best football at this age. From Villa at 28 to 32, I played my best football.

But it’s still… In this game now, it’s a bit more of a younger man’s sport, if you know what I mean. If you ain’t got pace, it’s very hard now. Unless you’re a holding midfield player who’s going to play as a number six, who’s going to dictate the game.

Anywhere else over the pitch, you have to be electric. You have to be electric. And I don’t see him being electric in three years’ time.

‘Offering Salah 400k opens up can of worms’

He’s 32 years of age. He’s going to want 300 or 400 grand a week.

Salah has scored so many goals in the last seven years – but they’ve won the Premier League once. They’ve won it once. So it’s not like we’re going, right, if he starts scoring now, they’ll win it.

It’s hard to win the league. It’s hard. And for me, it’s his age.

If he was in his age, I’d just say have whatever you want.

I could get my body into a certain position. They could all take their tops off. You can’t go by their tops. You’ve got to go by his pace.

They’ve all got that physique, you know what I mean? They can, but they’re not going to play like Salah. But the problem is he’s going to be.

‘Salah won’t have Alexander-Arnold behind him next season’

He’s one of the best players. He’s the best runner without the ball I’ve ever seen. One of the best I’ve seen. He makes runs when he’s not got the ball as good as anybody. Like that run he makes for that goal. He makes that run.

If he doesn’t get the ball, he still makes it. He goes at 100 miles an hour. He doesn’t jog and make that run.

He goes ‘bang’. He’s the best I’ve seen without the ball making runs.

But how long can he keep on doing that? How long? You’ve got to remember as well, he plays behind Trent Alexander-Arnold.

He’s played behind Trent Alexander-Arnold for seven years. He’s got to be one of the best passers of the ball we’ve seen in the Premier League, in my opinion.

He ain’t going to be there next season.

So now all of a sudden, who gives him the ball? When he comes short and he spins, who’s going to put that ball over? Then that diagonal ball. Is Van Dijk staying? We hasn’t signed yet. Every week that goes past, it’s 100 grand.

I mean, that’s a lot of money, isn’t it?

‘Criminal Liverpool have allowed triple contract saga to play out’

Salah is one of the best in the world. One of the best in the world. But it’s going to open up an absolute can of worms.

It’s another two years. I’m looking at the next year. I know we can say, ‘OK, well, let’s just look for now’.

I know I’m a great believer, live in the now. No-one appreciates that more than me, live in the now. But it’s alright living in the now and say, right, we’ll give you 400 grand a week every week.

But you’re not. You’re going to give him 400 grand for the next 150 weeks. And that’s the problem.

They’re winning every week at the moment. So nothing’s been said about Van Dijk.

Nothing’s been said about Trent Alexander-Arnold. Nothing’s been said about Salah. They lose three on the trot and everybody’s going to be jumping all over them.

Why aren’t they signed? But at the end of the day, it’s not their fault. People upstairs, I don’t know what they’ve done. In football terms, it’s criminal how three of the best players to play for Liverpool for a long time, their contracts are running out all at the same time.

It’s unbelievable.