Liverpool legend John Barnes has claimed the Reds would move on if they don't manage to tie down forward Mohamed Salah to a new deal.
The 29-year-old Egypt international is yet to commit his future at the Premier League club with the current deal set to expire next summer.
With the Anfield outfit still engaging the player over a possible extension, the 58-year-old Barnes, who played for Liverpool between 1987 to 1997 and managed 84 goals from 314 matches, has stated the club would move on if they don’t reach an agreement.
“Hopefully Salah or Liverpool will compromise and find an agreement, and if they don’t, we’ll move on, Liverpool will still be there,” Barnes told BonusCodeBets as quoted by Echo.
Barnes, who also played for Watford, and Newcastle United in the Premier League, also insists that Salah's contract situation is not linked to the future of manager Jurgen Klopp.
The German tactician recently signed a new two-year extension to his contract at Anfield until 2026.
“Jurgen's new contract and Mo Salah’s potential contract renewal aren’t mutually exclusive. Liverpool will want both Klopp and Salah to stay and it’s not a decision of one over the other,” Barnes continued.
“Klopp has signed for four more years but it doesn’t mean anything if they finish mid-table next year, he probably won’t be there. Managers’ situations are different to players’ situations.”
Barnes appears to be expecting Salah's contract talks to drag out further still, even though the North African is entering the final year of his deal.
“They’ll have been talking to Salah about a new contract from the start of the season; Klopp committing his future will have nothing to do with it," added the former England midfielder.
“These talks will continue for a long period of time. It’s easier to tie managers down as they’re not being touted to go to other clubs, unlike players. Salah will have more options than Klopp if he decides he wants to go somewhere else.”
Salah has so far scored 22 top flight goals in this campaign, which is the highest tally in the competition, whilst he also ranks first for Premier League assists having created 13 goals for his teammates.
It was against Manchester United on April 19 when Salah last scored in the Premier League, netting a brace in a 4-0 victory. His opening goal of the campaign came in the 3-0 victory against Norwich City on August 14.
Last season for Liverpool, Salah made 37 Premier League appearances, scoring 22 goals and providing five assists. Salah joined Liverpool in July 2017 from AS Roma, for whom he made 31 league appearances in total, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists.
Liverpool, who are placed second in the 20-team table with 86 points, will next face Chelsea in the final of the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday before they travel to face Southampton in the Premier League at St. Mary's Stadium on May 17.