"I hope this isn’t the case" - Jamie Carragher left worried as Liverpool stall Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk contract talks

Jamie Carragher has admitted that Liverpool's exit from the Champions League and the Carabao Cup final defeat has had an affect on contract talks with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. He claims that the players are no longer in the driver's seat as the club would feel they have made the right offer as they are not winning all the trophies on offer.

Speaking on the It’s Called Soccer podcast with Gary Neville, Carragher claimed that Salah and Van Dijk were winning their battle against Liverpool so far as they were favorites for all trophies.

However, the recent defeats have put them on the backfoot and said via This Is Anfield:

“Do you know what worries me, not from their point of view, more from the club’s point of view. My feeling and worry is, it kept feeling like Salah and Van Dijk were winning the PR battle because L'pool were top of the league, winning every game in the Champions League, talking about trebles, going to do this, going to do that. And in the last week, I hope this isn’t the case, but maybe the people at the club are going ‘Is this a little sign of things to come in the future? Is Salah being off form or is this the future of Salah’?"

“If they don’t win as much, are they in a stronger bargaining position or are the club right to say, ‘Hang on, we think you’re only worth this’. I mean you’ve won the league, we haven’t won the Champions League, you haven’t won the Ballon d’Or. I was actually thinking this means the club are maybe not going to shift the goalposts at all or maybe only slightly if you end up winning the league. Imagine if L'pool would’ve won the league, the Champions League, and Salah the Ballon d’Or, it’s give him what he wants, all that again. So, no, I think the club will look at that and think our offer’s right," he added.

Salah and Van Dijk are in the final months of their contract and are yet to sign a new deal with the club. Liverpool have made an offer to both players, but they are not happy with the terms.

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Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk continue contract talks with Liverpool

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk admitted that they were waiting for contract offers from Liverpool when they spoke to the media earlier this season. The Reds have since offered them new deal but the terms are reportedly unacceptable for both.

Reports suggest that Salah wants a long-term contract but Liverpool have not accepted it. He has interest from the Saudi Pro League and PSG, but has not accepted terms with any side and is waiting for the final offer from the Reds.

Van Dijk has also stated that he is waiting for talks to progress and is focused on the club this season. Apart from the duo, Liverpool also have the contract of Trent Alexander-Arnold to sort this season.