Liverpool could be willing to sell Mohamed Salah if a “silly offer” is lodged in the next 12 months.
That’s the thoughts of former Reds defender Glen Johnson, who believes his old club are in a ‘win-win’ situation despite the player’s contract winding down.
The Egyptian will be a free agent at the end of the next season and has yet to extend his deal with question marks beginning to surface regarding his long-term future.
Read more: Why Jurgen Klopp won't intervene in contract talks between Mo Salah and Liverpool
Salah previously opened the door to a move to LaLiga, before suggesting that he would like to stay at Anfield for the rest of his career.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Salah currently the world's best player? Let us know your thoughts here
“If you ask me, I would love to stay until the last day of my football career, but I can’t say much about that – it’s not in my hands. It depends on what the club want, not on me,” he said last month.
“At the moment I can’t see myself ever playing against Liverpool. That would make me sad.”
A number of his team-mates have been handed lucrative new contracts, although his would likely eclipse all of those and see him become one of the Premier League ’s top earners.
Reports in Spain claim new Barcelona head coach Xavi wants to sign Salah ‘at all costs’ and Johnson thinks that means the ball is firmly in Liverpool’s court.
“They have got the new deal coming along, he will demand big wages and he is getting older,” Johnson told the ECHO.
“If they get offered a silly amount of money transfer fee wise, it might be tempting, but you just don’t know. We just have to see what the deal that is offered is when it comes.
“I’m sure Liverpool will be thinking, ‘great, if it’s at all costs then make us a silly offer. If not, we keep Mo Salah’. It’s win-win."
However, Johnson has warned Salah that there is little point joining Barcelona with the LaLiga giants in a state of flux at present.
Read more: 8 club legends that returned as managers... and how their reigns went as Xavi takes Barca role
“Timing is everything," Johnson added. "Barcelona of old, of course that gets everyone’s attention. But they’re not that team at the moment, they’re not that club at the moment.
“In terms of timing, if you’re a 23-year-old then of course because you can be a Barcelona legend for the next two years.
“But with Mo being slightly older, to go to Barcelona for two years, what’s the point? You could stay at Liverpool for two or three more years and be a legend.”
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has refused to be drawn on the state of negotiations with his star forward, who has 10 goals in 11 league games this season.
“I speak to players constantly but it is not the right thing for a manager to speak to players about contracts,” he said.
"You need someone in between. For the player that is the agent, for the club it is the sporting director.
“When a player is very important for you and you say 'you can have this or that' and he doesn’t want to hear it and says: 'I think I'm worth more than that', this conversation shouldn't happen with the person who is responsible for football things.”
