Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Mohamed Salah has signed a new long-term deal with the club, amid rumoured interest from Real Madrid.
Real Madrid have been dealt a bitter blow in their pursuit of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, as the 26-year old has signed a new five-year contract with the club, as confirmed by their official website.
The European champions have been heavily linked with a move for the Egyptian superstar, after he enjoyed a sensational 2017/18 campaign with Liverpool, having only arrived last summer from AS Roma in a £36.9 million deal.
Salah’s debut season with the Merseysiders saw him break records left, right and centre, as he went on to score 44 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions, 32 of which came in the Premier League, helping him win the Golden Boot award and also establish the highest ever tally for a 38-game season.
His returns of 44 strikes was also the second highest by a Liverpool player in a single season, in the history of the club, only behind Ian Rush’s tally of 47. Salah’s exploits saw him walk away with numerous awards and accolades as he was was named as both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year for 2017/18.
The 26-year-old also picked up Liverpool’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards, while also becoming the first player to win three Premier League Player of the Month awards in a single season, as he led Jurgen Klopp’s side to a fourth-place finish in the league and the finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they were thrashed by Real Madrid.
The Spanish heavyweights are understood to be looking to revamp their squad with club president Florentino Perez keen on infusing more young players within the ranks.
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With Julen Lopetegui taking over as the new manager, following Zinedine Zidane’s surprise exit post the club’s hat-trick of Champions League triumphs, there is a possibility that Karim Benzema, who under-performed last season, might be shown the exit doors, despite scoring against Liverpool in the finals.
And with rumours of an exit for Welsh wing-wizard Gareth Bale always doing the rounds, and the question marks over the future of talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Los Blancos want to strengthen their attacking contingent and were intent on bringing in Salah to the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
However, all those plans will now have been blown away as Salah has reaffirmed his wish to continue playing for Liverpool by signing a new five-year deal, which happens to have no release clause in it.
“I’m very happy to say I have signed a new contract with the club,” Salah said after signing the deal. “My first year at the club was an incredible experience for me and my family. I know we can achieve a lot of things together.”
Incidentally, Real Madrid were also strongly linked with Salah’s Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane, but that move appears to be dead in the waters as well.
The Merengues have also shown a strong keenness to sign Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard and the Belgian is also seemingly interested in getting a move done. There will be some heavy spending from the Spanish capital club this summer, as they look to wrestle back the La Liga crown from rivals Barcelona. But Liverpool fans can breathe easy now, knowing that Salah is not likely to leave the club any time soon.
