Jurgen Klopp has dismissed speculation over Mohamed Salah’s future, insisting the winger is “in a good mood and moment” at Liverpool.
Salah, whose contract expires in 2023, recently conducted an interview with Spanish publication AS in which he refused to rule out a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona. The 28-year-old also expressed his anger and disappointment after being overlooked for the captaincy against Midtjylland in the absence of Jordan Henderson.
Asked about Salah’s future at a press conference on Thursday, Klopp said: "We never speak [about contracts]. Mo is in a good mood and moment, shape and that is the most important. You would have seen him laughing a lot [today]. The rest is nice for you to write but internally, nothing really [to say]."
Liverpool top the Premier League table at Christmas after their 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace last weekend and seem well primed for a successful defence of their title, despite having to negotiate a swathe of injuries to key players already this season. However, Klopp warned that the hectic fixture schedule over Christmas will be “the toughest period of the season”.
“Obviously it does not mean you're automatically champion in May if you lead at Christmas,” Klopp said. "It's the best position you can be in at the moment but that is it. We know how tough it is. It's nice, nothing else.
"Two years ago when we didn't win after being top at Xmas it was about the quality of the opponents and that quality is still out there. If we want to do something special we focus until the end of the season."
