Mohamed Salah insists he’s decided to finish on a excessive at Liverpool and win the Premier League in what he suggests is his remaining season on the membership.
Salah is in red-hot kind in the intervening time with Arne Slot’s aspect six factors clear on the high of the Premier League with a recreation in hand forward of their Tremendous Sunday conflict with Manchester United, reside on Sky Sports activities (kick-off 4.30pm).
The 32-year-old is now high amongst Premier League gamers for each targets and assists this season, with 17 and 13 respectively, however his future stays unsure as he enters the ultimate six months of his contract.
No matter occurs, Salah, who wrote a listing of his targets and ambitions for the season whereas on vacation final summer season, desires to do “something special” for Liverpool and elevate a second Premier League trophy for the membership come Could.
“The first thing that was on the list was to win the Premier League with Liverpool,” Salah advised Sky Sports activities.
“In my interviews over the last seven or eight years, I always say [I want to win the] Champions League. But this is the first time I’m saying I really want to win the Premier League with Liverpool.”
When requested why that’s, he added: “I don’t know. It is most likely as a result of we did not have a good time the one we gained in the best way we needed and in addition, coming again right here too, it is my final yr within the membership so that you need to do one thing particular for the town.
“That was the thing in my head.
“We waited for that title for 30 years or so. So, to win it and it was the pandemic at the moment, we did not actually have time to have a good time it in the precise means. It isn’t a pleasant factor to do, so hopefully we are able to do it this yr.”
Under previous boss Jurgen Klopp, Salah won almost every major club honour with Liverpool, securing a Premier League title, a Champions League, the FA Cup and two league cups. They also added a European Super Cup and a Club World Cup
However, Salah still believes this Liverpool team, which features almost half of the players who enjoyed so much success under Klopp, needs to win another trophy and in particular a second Premier League crown.
He said: “My motivation this yr was to win a trophy and be a giant a part of successful that trophy, particularly the Premier League.
“I still believe the team needs a trophy. There is still half of the team left like me, Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Virgil [Van Dijk], Alisson, Robbo [Andy Robertson].
“It’s a necessity for us to win one other trophy earlier than all of us go.”
When asked if Liverpool need a second title to cement their legacy, he added: “Sure, undoubtedly [to rubber stamp this Liverpool team as a great Premier League team].
“We’ve won almost everything, but we’ve won the Premier League once. Hopefully we can win it twice, which would be great.”
‘No progress on contract talks’
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk’s contracts are additionally set to run out in the summertime however Salah’s beautiful performances this season guarantee he’s dominating the headlines.
Salah has already mentioned this season might be his “last year” at Liverpool, including again in September that “nobody has talked to me” about his expiring contract.
Once more on Sunday, he advised Sky Sports activities he’s nonetheless “far away” from agreeing a brand new contract with Liverpool after his player-of-the-match show of their 5-0 thrashing of West Ham and he reiterated the identical factor.
When requested if he actually believes that is his final season on the membership, he mentioned: “So far, yes. It’s the last six months.
“There isn’t a progress there. We’re far-off from any progress.
“So, we just need to wait and see.”
The hypothesis has not been a distraction for Salah, who’s in unbelievable kind.
Sunday’s recreation towards West Ham was the eighth this season by which he has each scored and assisted, which is already essentially the most by any participant in a single Premier League marketing campaign.
He has additionally reached 30 aim involvements in solely 18 Premier League video games – the fewest by any participant within the historical past of the competitors.
His whole of 52 aim involvements in all competitions in 2024 is the very best by any participant in Europe’s main leagues.
When requested how he has saved his focus, he replied: “The thing in my head is that if this is the last six months, what do you want to see in the future?
“Do you need to look again and say I used to be involved or pressured concerning the contract? Or do you simply need to say I had an unbelievable season? That is what is in my head.
“If I ever feel distraction, I just remind myself I want to look back and say I had an unbelievable season. That’s what I want to do.”
‘I at all times count on large issues of myself’
Liverpool boss Slot mentioned Salah is the very best participant on the planet proper now and Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Carragher believes the Egypt worldwide is in pole place for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Trying on the numbers, that are rivalling these of Cristiano Ronaldo at Actual Madrid and Lionel Messi at Barcelona of their pomp, it’s laborious to argue, however Salah shouldn’t be centered on particular person awards.
“I am really motivated to win the Premier League,” he mentioned.
“90 per cent of winning an individual award depends on your performance with the team and winning a trophy with the team. If you win with your team, you have a better chance to win a Ballon d’Or or something like that.
“A very powerful factor for me is to win the Premier League and to be a giant a part of that. I do not simply need to have a small half. I need to win it after which for individuals to say he made the distinction and made the workforce win.
“Again, it’s not easy to do. Arsenal are catching us. Chelsea are catching us. Man City will come back for sure. It’s very tricky but we just have to stay focused, don’t take it for granted and keep working hard. Hopefully we’ll win it in the end.”
On his spectacular kind and people unbelievable numbers he’s hitting, he added: “I always expect big things from myself.
“I work actually laborious and once you work so laborious you count on the very best out of your self. I at all times look to place myself actually excessive so I anticipated excessive issues from myself.
“I am very proud to see the numbers but you just have to forget it and stay humble.
“I do not need to get to the tip of the season and say I had unbelievable numbers however the workforce did not win something. I simply need to win the trophy and have the large numbers.”
Salah thriving on responsibility in Slot’s Liverpool
Salah believes a change of regime has additionally helped him and Liverpool this season.
Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool after 11 years as supervisor in the summertime and Salah was him for seven extraordinarily profitable seasons at Anfield.
Nonetheless, Salah believes Slot’s arrival has helped the workforce, suggesting the Dutchman’s tactical adjustments have added a brand new dimension to Liverpool, whereas the ahead additionally believes he’s thriving with extra accountability inside the workforce.
“The new manager has come in with a new idea which helps the team,” he mentioned.
“We’d been with Jurgen [Klopp] for seven years so maybe things have changed slightly which makes us all want it more and want to win more.
“That does not imply we did not need to win extra however change might help the workforce and I’ve by no means been motivated to win the Premier League like now.
On how Slot has helped him this season, he added: “The way we play is completely different.
“With Jurgen, we had one system on a regular basis. We caught to what we had been doing with him, it did not matter what. We did that for seven to eight years.
“The new manager changes something slightly depending on the game. We didn’t do that before.
“In my game, the team relies on me a little bit more than before and somehow it is helping me express myself, play my game and improve some parts of it.”
Liverpool’s bid to win a second Premier League title continues on Tremendous Sunday once they host Manchester United at Anfield, reside on Sky Sports activities; kick-off 4.30pm.
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