Salah nearing new Liverpool deal as talks progress

Mohamed Salah is edging closer to signing a new contract with Liverpool as talks have been progressing well.

The situation is the same for captain Virgil van Dijk, who has also indicated there has been “progress” in discussions over a long-awaited new deal to keep him at Liverpool.

Salah and Van Dijk have made it abundantly clear that remaining at Anfield is their priority and it is understood there has finally been a breakthrough after a lengthy negotiation process.

Despite both players’ contracts running out this summer, Liverpool have always been confident that the pair would commit to the club.

Salah, 32, has contributed 27 goals and 17 assists in 31 Premier League games so far this season to help Arne Slot’s side to an 11-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the table.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are believed to be progressing in talks over signing Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose deal at Anfield also expires at the end of June – and his preference is to join the LaLiga club.

Madrid are confident of tying up a deal for Alexander-Arnold and they are obliged to communicate with Liverpool when an agreement is reached.

However, the England international’s situation will have no bearing on what happens with Salah and Van Dijk, with all contract offers being drafted on individual merit, data and circumstances.

And the optimism is very strong that the pair will remain at Liverpool beyond the summer.

‘The news all Liverpool fans have been waiting to hear’

Analysis by Sky Sports’ Richard Morgan:

This is, potentially, the news all Liverpool supporters wanted to hear as this long-running transfer saga appears to finally be drawing to a close.

Liverpool fans have been here before, in the summer of 2022 when Salah’s then contract at Anfield had just 12 months left to run, before that July the forward put pen to paper on a new three-year deal.

However, with that contract now having just over two months left before it expires and seemingly no breakthrough in talks on the horizon, Salah’s glorious Reds career had appeared to be drawing to a close.

“I don’t see any of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk signing at Liverpool,” said Paul Merson recently of the situation. “I’d be quite shocked if all three stayed from here.”

But now finally, after months of protracted negotiations, it appears a breakthrough has been made between the two parties that will extend Salah’s eight-year stay on Merseyside that has seen the forward score an incredible 243 goals in all competitions in only 394 matches, the third most in the club’s history, while winning every trophy possible during that time.