Liverpool legend Carragher casts doubt that 2024-25 will be Mo Salah's 'last season'

The Liverpool FC legend Jamie Carragher has cast doubt on remarks from the Anfield striker Mo Salah that the 2024-25 season will be his last with The Reds.

Salah, 32, gave an interview to Sky Sports in which he remarked that "nobody" at Liverpool had spoken to him about renewing his contract, which has only one year left to run.

He added: "OK, I play my last season and see at the end of the season."

But speaking after Liverpool's impressive 3-0 win at Old Trafford - in which Salah slotted home the decisive third goal - former Anfield defender Carragher said: "I’m not sure it will be his last year.

"I think Mo Salah is a little bit like (Cristiano) Ronaldo," he told The Gary Neville Podcast.

"Most footballers think 35 is the time to finish. I think Mo Salah will be looking at his late 30s and winding down then in his head.

"He will be looking at breaking every record he possibly can, either in the Premier League or Liverpool.

"I think he is aware of his status and I find it very difficult to see Mo Salah in the Saudi League, for instance, next season.

"He is playing that well at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"There are a lot of players, wingers or wide forwards who have more medals than him but there will be very few wide players with the quality and numbers of goals.

"You think of Ronaldo at United. I think he is right up there alongside Ronaldo as the best winger we’ve seen in the Premier League."

Salah’s goal against United meant for the first time in his eight seasons at the club he had found the net in the opening three matches of the campaign.

His contract is due to expire in the summer of 2025 and he has yet to receive a renewal offer to extend it, despite having set a new Liverpool record of 20-plus goals for seven-successive seasons.

The Egypt international turns 33 in June next year, but Carragher does not believe that will be a barrier to Salah and therefore should not be for Liverpool.

It is also widely reported that no approach has been made to captain Virgil Van Dijk about extending his contract beyond the end of the season, with 25-year-old England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in a similar situation.

The onus is on new sporting director Richard Hughes and above him chief executive of football for owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) Michael Edwards, to now move quickly on contracts.

A summer of upheaval following the departure of Jurgen Klopp and his entire backroom staff meant the focus was on recruiting a new head coach in Arne Slot and preparing him for his first season.

The club refuse to talk about player contracts but with the transfer window now closed, the expectation is there will be some movement from Hughes, with a decision to be made on whether FSG depart from their policy of not offering lucrative, long-term deals to players aged over 30 in order to secure the futures of Salah and Van Dijk.