Liverpool have been told by a former player to stand their ground in contract negotiations with Mohamed Salah. The Reds are currently locked in talks with the Egyptian over a new deal with his current contract set to expire in 2023.
Reports over the weekend claimed that Salah and his representatives had rejected an offer from Liverpool. Further reports have said that Liverpool and FSG want to hand Salah a new deal, but not at any price.
Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has explained why “tactics” could be involved from both sides as a reason for negotiations dragging on. Johnson also argued why it’s in Liverpool’s best interest to stand their ground and not be “held to ransom” in negotiations.
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“It probably is tactics. It’s business at the end of the day,” Johnson told BettingOdds.com.
“With a player like Mohamed Salah and the position of his contract, he currently holds all the aces.
“Whether it’s Liverpool or any other club, it’s never good business letting any of your starting XI players go for free, and certainly not one of the best players in the world.
“So yes, I do think it’s tactics but at the same time Liverpool can’t do business when they’re held to ransom because then it just sets a precedent for everyone else.
“All of a sudden other players start running their contracts down in order to double their salary.
“I don’t think Liverpool should be going into the meeting room with a gun to their head. I think they should stick their sword in the ground and lay it all down.
“Let’s face it, Liverpool’s a top club, Salah’s a top player, it shouldn’t be a difficult deal to get over the line.”
