“Sometimes players want to try pastures new” - Paul Ince names Liverpool star who could leave this summer

Former Manchester United and Liverpool star Paul Ince has tipped Mohamed Salah to leave the Reds next summer.

The Egyptian forward has once again been in scintillating form for the Merseyside giants this season. However, his contract stand-off with Liverpool has seen the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid keep tabs on the 29-year-old.

But Ince's reason for Salah's likely departure is not solely because of the latter's contract situation at Liverpool. He feels the Egyptian could desire to take on newer challenges.

Ince said in this regard:

"If anyone’s going to leave Liverpool, I think it will be Salah. Mane and Salah have been here a long time now and what they’ve achieved has been sensational. Sometimes players want to try pastures new, go abroad and try different clubs. The fans obviously won’t want them to go but if the contracts aren’t right they’re going to move on."

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Salah's contract situation with Liverpool

Mohamed Salah joined the Reds from AS Roma in 2017. He has since registered 148 goals and 56 assists in 231 games for the Anfield outfit. The 29-year-old has won the Premier League Golden Boot on two occasions and is in line to bag a third at the end of the season.

He has scored 16 goals in 22 Premier League games this season and is currently the league's top scorer. While all is well on the pitch, the problems have surfaced off it.

Salah's current contract is set to expire next year. That means the Reds will have to tie him down to a new contract sooner rather than later. Moreover, if Liverpool fail to do so, Salah will be free to negotiate a pre-contract with another club come January 2023.

Although the Reds are keen to keep their star player at the club, the two parties are currently far apart on new contract terms. Salah wants a bumper deal that will reportedly see him become the highest earner in England.

It may not be the wrong call from the player, given his impact on Merseyside and beyond. However, Liverpool have built a squad by bringing together several good players on decent wages. Offering one star a runaway contract could break the system and further open doors for other players to make similar demands.

It has put the Reds in a pickle and time is running out with each passing day.