Pep Guardiola’s response to Mohamed Salah Liverpool contract extension speaks volumes

Man City manager Pep Guardiola has responded to Mohamed Salah’s new contract extension with Liverpool.

When asked for his thoughts on Mohamed Salah’s freshly-announced Liverpool contract extension, Pep Guardiola could only give a muted congratulations. His reaction to that question and others during Friday’s press conference showed the vast difference in mood between Merseyside and Manchester City.

After months and months of speculation, Liverpool and Salah finally put to rest any lingering doubts of their partnership coming to an end this summer with a big announcement on Friday morning. The Egyptian is now destined to continue his career at Anfield until 2027 at least.

As confidence-inducing as this piece of business is for the Reds, it should have the completely opposite effect on rivals. And that is the impression Guardiola certainly gave off when speaking to the media.

Asked how good it is to see a player of the 32-year-old’s ilk stay in the Premier League, the City manager replied: “That’s good to Arne Slot and the fans of Liverpool. There’s no doubt the quality of Mo Salah.”

Perhaps Guardiola can’t get too excited about a player who’s netted 13 and assisted eight against his team across the years because of his competitive streak. After all, the Reds beat City to the only Premier League title they’ve failed to win since 2018 and, seemingly, a second instance of that will be recorded in just a matter of a few weeks.

If all goes as expected, Salah would be bringing the fight to the current champions to contest two more Premier League campaigns in 2025/26 and 2026/27. The City manager might even look at his squad in its current state and question whether or not will they be there to fight for future titles.

With injuries, ageing and underperforming stars, they sit sixth in this season’s Premier League with seven matches to go. There’s not even guarantee that they play Champions League football next year.

Asked about transfer business this summer, to rectify problem they have experienced, the Catalan replied: “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Of course, the club is working, but we are not going to have 45 players in the squad as it’s not sustainable, in terms of emotionally for the team.

“We have to see – except Kevin [De Bruyne] – all the other contracts and we’ll see until the end how they behave – how we are. We are going to see [what happens this summer].”

Mohamed Salah signs new contract with Liverpool FC

Liverpool FC can announce Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract that will keep him with the club beyond the 2024-25 season.

The forward, who is enjoying another stellar campaign for the Reds, has committed his future by putting pen to paper on the deal.

So far this term, Salah has scored 32 goals in just 45 appearances in all competitions – 27 of which have come in the Premier League, making him the division’s leading marksman. These strikes have been supplemented by 22 assists for his teammates.

And today’s news means Salah will extend an eight-year stay at Anfield into the future and continue to help Arne Slot’s team challenge for the game’s biggest honours.

He told Liverpoolfc.com in exclusive reaction: “Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.

“It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.

“I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”

Salah has cemented himself as a Liverpool legend since his transfer from AS Roma in the summer of 2017.

His remarkable record in front of goal has taken him to outright third in the Reds’ all-time top scorers list, with 243 strikes in 394 appearances to date.

During his time at Anfield, Salah has lifted seven major honours, picking up medals in the Premier League and Champions League, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups.

In addition, he has won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions, been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice and taken home two FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

Now Salah will look to add further to those collections together with Liverpool, having committed his future to the club once more.

Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa Left Stunned by Liverpool Teammate’s Jaw-Dropping Training Moment

Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton has not featured for Arne Slot’s side since January but has left his Reds teammates in awe especially Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa after a stunning training ground display.

Tyler Morton, the 22-year-old Liverpool midfielder, left teammates including Mohamed Salah in awe during a recent training session at the AXA Training Centre.

Despite only making five appearances for the Reds this season and not featuring since late January, he’s been turning heads in training. After two seasons on loan with Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, the England U21s international had hinted at a potential departure from Liverpool in January due to limited playing time.

However, he remained with the club post the transfer window closure. Arne Slot, in early February, revealed that Morton had undergone surgery following a shoulder injury. Although he hasn’t been included in a matchday squad since January, he was seen back in training towards the end of March, just before the Merseyside derby.

Morton recently stunned his teammates by scoring an impressive goal during a training drill at the AXA Training Centre. As Salah, Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo looked on, Morton shrugged off some playful teasing from a coach to score with aplomb.

The Reds’ squad was left in awe after witnessing a stunning display of skill from their midfielder, who executed a perfect Cruyff turn and flick, eliciting a ‘Wow!’ from his teammates before he scored with a sublime curl into the bottom corner, sparking further applause.

Gakpo celebrated with a hand-twirling gesture, and amid the laughter, Chiesa exclaimed, “You’re a wizard!”. Morton then linked up with a coach for a one-two, dashing onto a through-ball. Anticipating the outcome, Gakpo yelled ‘Hat-trick!” just before the midfielder expertly finished with his left foot from a tight angle, prompting more cheers from his teammates.

Morton’s celebration saw him slide on his knees in the corner, joined by Harvey Elliott, as Salah chuckled and Gakpo praised, “Well done, Ty!”. Chiesa was spotted applauding and remarking “nice”, while Elliott, after a celebratory leap, was overheard saying, “Never seen anything like it” as he rejoined the group.

Following Liverpool’s sharing of the goal on social media, Elliott later posted the clip to his Instagram story, captioning it: “Best thing I’ve ever seen! Limbs!”. As Liverpool gears up for their next match against West Ham United at home on Sunday, all eyes are on whether Morton, now back in training, will make it into Slot’s matchday squad or whether he will miss out again.

It’s been a year since Jürgen Klopp brought his unforgettable Liverpool chapter to a close—a decision that shocked fans, left a void in the heart of Anfield, and quietly shifted the rhythm of life for those closest to him. Among them is Ulla Sandrock, Klopp’s wife, who recently opened up about how life has changed since leaving Merseyside behind.

“It Was Never Just Football”

Reflecting on their time in Liverpool, Ulla describes it as more than just a footballing journey. “It was a full life,” she shared. “It wasn’t just about the trophies or the matches—it was about the people, the passion, the city that welcomed us with open arms.”

As the woman who stood beside one of the most iconic managers in Premier League history, Ulla’s role was largely behind the scenes—but pivotal. She gave Klopp the calm and clarity he needed to lead with heart.

A New Rhythm

Since their departure, Ulla and Jürgen have embraced a quieter lifestyle—more travel, more time together, and more space to breathe. “We don’t wake up thinking about the next fixture anymore,” she smiled. “Now, we wake up and ask, ‘Where should we go today?’”

But leaving Liverpool wasn’t easy. “It was home,” Ulla said simply. “We built a life there. Leaving was like leaving family.”

A Lasting Connection

Though they now live away from the buzz of the Premier League, the love for Liverpool still runs deep in their hearts. “We still follow the club, still watch the games,” Ulla admitted. “And when Liverpool wins, we still smile like we’re part of it—because in many ways, we always will be.”

What Lies Ahead

Ulla hinted at future plans—some writing, some philanthropy, and above all, peace. “We gave so much of ourselves to football. Now it’s time to enjoy what we’ve built together.”

As the Klopp era remains etched in the annals of Liverpool history, Ulla’s quiet strength reminds us that behind every great leader is often an even greater love—one that now gets to write its next chapter far away from the floodlights of Anfield.

Liverpool are set to appoint Laurie Shaw as their new chief scientist, with the Scot currently on gardening leave after leaving his role as director of football data at the City Football Group.

Liverpool have reportedly poached Laurie Shaw from rivals Manchester City to become the club’s new chief scientist. Shaw joined the City Football Group (CFG) in February 2021, leaving his role as a research scientist and lecturer at Harvard University to start working in football.

The Scot was appointed head of AI at CFG, the multi-club model that owns stakes in a number of teams including City, Girona and Palermo, before becoming director of football data in September 2023.

However, the Liverpool Echo are reporting that he is now set to join Premier League rivals Liverpool after serving a period of gardening leave.

The report states that he is set to work specifically with Liverpool, although owners Fenway Sports Group do have stakes in a number of other sports teams around the world.

Shaw’s new role will see him work under Liverpool’s director of research Will Spearman, with the club’s data department widely viewed as one of the best in football.

Dr Ian Graham spearheaded Liverpool’s analytics department after joining the club in 2012, with Spearman replacing him when he left in 2023. Liverpool’s use of data has been a huge part of their success in recent years and the addition of Shaw will come as a huge boost for the Reds.

Opening up about how analytics helped shape Liverpool’s success, Graham told The Athletic last year: “Mike Gordon, Michael Edwards, myself and the rest of the transfer committee always had the belief the process would pay off if we could get all the parts working properly.

“Our personalities were similar in not caring about the outside noise and sticking to a long-term view. The first guy I ever hired to my team, I told him ‘I’m not going to say this is a job for life; if we’re still here after two years we’re doing well’.

“I think at most clubs with those failures in the first few years, they would have gone in another direction. But Fenway knew the process was working.

“They could see that a department was being created which would give us an edge over other clubs in the future. It was just that the rest of the world couldn’t see it at that time.

“The typical experience of a data person going into a club back in the early 2010s was you come in with some bright ideas straight out of university and some old football guys think, ‘This is all rubbish; we’re not going to listen to this stuff’.

“There was resistance — and there was certainly resistance from Brendan [Rodgers]. Tough as that was, I knew it was a much better position to be in than at most clubs because I had buy-in from the owners and from Michael who was my direct manager.”

Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is on the verge of signing a new contract at Anfield to extend his stay beyond this summer.

Mohamed Salah took to social media within two hours of the news dropping that Liverpool are increasingly confident he will sign a new contract with the club. As reported by the ECHO on Wednesday evening, the expectation from Liverpool is that a deal will be struck between them and the 32-year-old.

The forward’s current contract expires in the summer and is therefore able to walk away on a free transfer. However, that now appears to be unlikely with Salah having always insisted that he wishes to remain at Anfield beyond this summer.

The news about the breakthrough in negotiations dropped around 5pm on Wednesday, and at 6.45pm, Salah took to X to post two pictures of himself. The first was of him smiling in the gym, and the other featured the forward and team-mate Dominik Szoboszlai at the coffee bar at the club’s AXA Training Centre.

No caption was included on the post, but Salah has long spoken of his desire to remain a Liverpool player beyond this summer. And back in January, Reds boss Arne Slot said the club are keen for Salah to extend his stay.

https://x.com/MoSalah/status/1910026262304718982?t=X5zZ8Vo_o48RxZB23wdziA&s=19

He said: “It would be a surprise if anyone said they didn’t want Mo Salah. He has done so well for so many years, that everyone probably wants him.

“He has done so well without my advice so he can keep doing what is best for his career, even without my advice. My advice to him would be different to the one [of Al Faisal].

“Everybody wants him, including us. We, of course, want him to extend as well.

“That is clear. But I am not surprised someone wants him.

“He has done so many smart things in his career, so he will make the right decision for himself and hopefully for us as well.”

Providing an update on his future in January, Salah said: “It’s my last year in the club so you want to do something special for the city, that is the thing in my head.” Asked if he really believed this campaign would be his last hurrah, he continued: “So far, yeah, it is the last six months.

“There is nothing, no progress there. We are far away from any progress so we just need to wait and see.”

Before he continued: “I think the thing in my head is, ‘OK, if this is your last six months or last year, what do you want to see in the future?’ Do you want to look back and say, ‘Oh, I was concerned about the contract or stressed?’

“Or do you just want to say, ‘OK, I had an unbelievable season.’ So that is in my head now, if I feel a kind of distraction I just remind myself, ‘You want to look back and say, ‘I had an unbelievable season,’ so that’s what I want to do.”

Liverpool are closing in on fresh contract terms with Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk

“I made a mistake.” Those were the candid words of Jurgen Klopp, who once admitted he wanted to punch himself after passing up on Sadio Mane—before eventually making amends by signing him at Liverpool, where the Senegalese forward would go on to become a legend.

Sadio Mane, who turns 33 today, proved to be one of Klopp’s most inspired signings—though it took a second chance for the move to happen. After winning every major trophy with Liverpool, Mane called time on his Anfield career in the summer of 2022 with a £35m switch to Bayern Munich.

Although he won the Bundesliga, his stint in Germany was underwhelming. Injuries hampered his progress, and a dressing room altercation with Leroy Sane didn’t help. Mane scored 12 goals in 38 appearances, starting only 27 times before moving to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in August 2023.

Despite his struggles abroad, Mane’s Liverpool legacy remains untarnished. He scored 120 goals over six seasons, helping the Reds reclaim their place in Europe’s elite and win six trophies, including the Premier League, Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup.

When Mane joined from Southampton in 2016, Liverpool already had Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah would arrive the following year to complete one of the deadliest front threes in European football.

Interestingly, Mane could have linked up with Klopp much earlier. The German coach first considered signing him in 2014 while managing Borussia Dortmund, having tracked his rise since the 2012 London Olympics. The two even held talks, but Klopp backed out.

“I made a mistake,” Klopp later confessed. “We met, we talked—but I didn’t feel it at the time. His baseball cap was askew, the blond streak, he looked like a rapper just starting out. I thought, ‘I don’t have time for this’. I got it totally wrong. A few months later I wanted to punch myself.”

With limited transfer options at Dortmund, Klopp said he couldn’t afford to make the wrong call. But once he arrived at Liverpool and had another chance, there was no hesitation.

“When Michael Edwards mentioned him in 2016, I didn’t need convincing. I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’ It was one of my first big Liverpool decisions, and it felt right.”

Dortmund’s loss was Liverpool’s gain. In fact, Klopp managed to snatch Mane from under Manchester United’s nose.

“I was really close to going to Manchester United,” Mane revealed in an interview with The Telegraph. “Everything was agreed. I had the contract.”

Then came the call from Klopp.

“He said, ‘Sadio, let me explain what happened at Dortmund.’ I told him, ‘It’s okay, it happened. I forgive you.’ Then he said, ‘Now I want you at Liverpool.’ And I said, ‘Okay, let’s focus on the future.’”

“I made a mistake,” Klopp had said—and Liverpool fans will forever be grateful he got a second chance to put it right.