Mohamed Salah revealed that he believed he had only a “10 percent” likelihood of remaining with Liverpool during the initial months of the season.
The Egyptian forward caused concern among Liverpool supporters throughout the season as he entered the final year of his previous contract, making several public remarks that expressed his worries about his future.
He often referred to this season as his “last” and admitted to feeling “more out than in,” leading many to speculate that he might leave at the end of the season.
Fortunately for Reds fans, the situation began to shift as 2025 approached, with Salah eventually signing a new contract, followed by Virgil van Dijk.
However, the Premier League’s top scorer acknowledged that he started the season with a strong belief that he would be departing the club this summer.
“Considering the club’s history, I felt there was a 10 percent chance of staying,” he stated in an interview with Sky Sports.
“I am not criticizing the club; I am simply acknowledging their philosophy.”
“I know how they deal with players over 30 in the past and I know how the situation will be so I never expect the club is going to be, ‘Okay, you have two years there.
‘ We reach a point in the money [negotiations], all of us are happy so I didn‘t expect I was going to stay.
“I think it took six months for the negotiation to go really quick and I think from January, I go, ‘Okay, now things are getting better and better.‘ It took a while.
I think the club tested me to see if I can provide or not! I didn‘t want more than that, just the two years.
”After months of tension, negotiations ultimately ramped up quickly for both Salah and Van Dijk.
Asked which deal he felt was more important for Liverpool, he insisted both will prove to be worth the effort.
“I think both,“ he said. “You need clean sheets and goals, without goals and clean sheets you won‘t win trophies.”