Liverpool make breakthrough in Mohamed Salah contract talks

Liverpool have made a breakthrough in contract talks with Mohamed Salah, according to reports.

Salah, one of the best players in the world, is coming to the end of his current contract at Anfield and Liverpool have been struggling to agree terms over an extension.

However, The Times say Salah is now ‘close’ to putting pen to paper on a new contract in a huge boost to a club on the verge of winning the Premier League.

There is now a ‘growing expectation’ that Salah, who has scored 243 goals in 395 appearances for Liverpool, will stay put.

Salah has previously suggested he wanted to remain on Merseyside but aimed a number of swipes at the club over the contract negotiations.

The Egyptian superstar, who flopped at Chelsea earlier in his career, has been a revelation since his £37m move in 2017.

During his first season at Anfield, Salah broke the record for the most Premier League goals scored in a 38-game season.

Salah has scored at least 30 goals in four of his last five seasons at Liverpool, helping Jurgen Klopp’s side win both the Premier League and Champions League.

Turning 33 this summer, Salah shows no sign of slowing down and has in fact enjoyed one of his best ever seasons, scoring 32 goals already this term.

His brilliant form has helped Liverpool storm 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League as they bid to lift a record-equalling 20th league title.

Will Virgil van Dijk also stay at Liverpool?

An imminent new deal for Salah comes after Liverpool made ‘progress’ over a contract extension for club captain Virgil van Dijk.

Also out of contract in the summer, Van Dijk has been less vocal about his future than Salah but gave a promising update following Liverpool’s defeat to Fulham at the weekend.

‘There is progress, yeah,’ said the 33-year-old. ‘I don’t know, we’ll see. Listen, these are internal discussions and we’ll see.

‘I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again and we wanted to reward them at Fulham.

‘But I want them to be there against West Ham on Sunday again and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us.’

Van Dijk has been one of the best defenders in the world over the past decade, making more than 300 appearances for Liverpool.

Alexander-Arnold heading to Real Madrid

Despite the good news over Salah and Van Dijk, Liverpool have had no such luck tying academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold down to a new deal.

Real Madrid expect to welcome the England right-back to the Bernabeu in the summer, having made a January bid which was rejected by Liverpool.

Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave his boyhood club has proved divisive, even though he looks set to join the most successful and arguably biggest team in European football.

An injury picked up during the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain has ruled Alexander-Arnold out of Liverpool’s last five games, including Sunday’s shock defeat to Fulham.

It was only Liverpool’s second league loss of the season, with the team greatly exceeding expectations under Arne Slot, who replaced Anfield legend Jurgen Klopp last summer.

The Premier League champions-elect will look to get back to winning ways on Sunday when they play host to West Ham.

‘I think there’s going to be a lot of people saying that the Premier League is done but, in the dressing room, we know that it’s not,’ Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said earlier this week.

‘We still have a lot of games coming up and all of them are going to be really difficult in a league like this. Everyone is fighting for something.

‘I’m pretty sure we will come back stronger and, in the next game, we will show what we can do.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.