"I hope we get more out of him" – Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard shares verdict on Mohamed Salah's future amid exit links

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has heaped praise on Mohamed Salah, asserting that he is hopeful of the Egyptian renewing his contract at the Merseyside outfit.

Salah, who is in the final year of his current deal, has been the talk of the town due to recent speculations about his future. Despite reported links to Saudi Arabia, the attacker has been in excellent form for the Reds this season. He has scored seven goals and registered six assists in 11 appearances across all competitions for Arne Slot's side.

During a recent conversation on Redmen TV, Gerrard was asked if he is surprised to witness the former Chelsea forward in fine form this season. He responded (h/t Liverpool Echo):

"I am not surprised [by his longevity] because I think he is obsessed with the game and I think you can see the body shape, the routines you can see, I obviously follow his social media and I always talk to people [about him]."

Gerrard, who represented Liverpool 710 times as a player, added:

"I always pick John's [Achterberg, former Reds goalkeeping coach who now works at Al-Ettifaq] brain on a daily basis and he says [Salah] was really obsessed to be the best. He wants to break records and he wants to be remembered as the best, so I am not surprised in terms of how he approaches his profession."

Opining on Salah's current contract situation, Gerrard continued:

"I think he is going to be one of these players that we will all appreciate even more when the day eventually comes that he moves on. I still think we'll get a couple of years out of him, he will deliver for many more years because of his shape, his professionalism, so I hope he stays. I hope we get more out of him and I am not surprised [as he is someone] who are obsessed with the profession."

Liverpool captain opines on contract situation

Following Liverpool's 2-1 league win over Chelsea earlier on Sunday, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk confirmed that his club have opened contract talks with him. He said (h/t ESPN):

"I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don't know, we will see what happens in the future. My very full focus is on [the club], wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. What the future will bring... I have no idea at the moment."

Similar to Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk is also in the final nine months of his contract. He is reportedly expected to receive a pay hike soon.

So far this campaign, the 33-year-old centre-back has helped Liverpool register six clean sheets in 10 appearances across competitions.