Carragher on Salah's new contract: 'Liverpool don't give people what they want'

Jamie Carragher said that Liverpool are "not built on giving people what they want" after Mohamed Salah reiterated the uncertainty over his future following Sunday's 2-0 win over Manchester City.

Salah bagged the assist for Cody Gakpo's opening goal and then netted the second to seal the win over City at Anfield and send his side nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Despite continuing his sensational form for the Reds, Salah's contract is set to run out at the end of the season, with the Egyptian revealing last week that Liverpool are yet to offer him a new deal.

Reacting to the situation on Sky Sports, former Liverpool defender Carragher said: "We know Liverpool as a club are run by data. It's a moneyball situation and we're delighted that's back but on the other hand, say give someone what they want, you can't do that."

"These two, [Virgil] Van Dijk and Salah, if Liverpool do have a rule such as only giving players over 30 a certain length contract, you have to move the data for players like that."

After his display against Pep Guardiola's champions, 32-year-old Salah has now scored and assisted in 36 Premier League games, the joint-most by a player in the competition's history, equalling Wayne Rooney's record.

The Liverpool attacker has also scored or assisted in eight consecutive Premier League matches against City, with six goals and four assists.

8 - Mohamed Salah has scored or assisted in each of his last eight Premier League starts against Manchester City (six goals, four assists in total). Relentless.#LFC #MCFC pic.twitter.com/tI4UIVcjta

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 2, 2024

"I'm not saying he shouldn't get a two-year deal, I'm not saying he shouldn't be on big money - he's on big money now and rightly so - but this idea and this saying of 'give him what he wants', this club is not built on giving people what they want, that's why there is success at the club," Carragher said.

"Being ahead of the game, buying Mo Salah for £40m when nobody else in the Premier League looked at him, because Liverpool were ahead of the game."

Salah signed for Liverpool from Roma in 2017, having previously played for Basel and Chelsea, among others.

His assist for Gakpo was the 75th of his Liverpool career in the Premier League and saw him overtake Arsenal's Thierry Henry on the list of most assists for a single club in the English to -flight.

After the game, Salah talked about his contract situation: "Honestly, it's in my head. Right now, this is the last City game I will play for Liverpool [at Anfield], so I was just going to enjoy it."

Liverpool will face Newcastle United in their next match on Wednesday.