Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gives four-word answer on Mo Salah before leaving interview

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp offered a blunt four-word response to questions about Mohamed Salah’s future. Klopp immediately walked out of the interview with Sky Sports after insisting that rumours surrounding Salah’s potential exit had dissipated. 

Forward Salah has been strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad. Reports from the Middle East country suggest that the Egyptian has been offered a contract that would make him the best-paid footballer in the world. 

Klopp attempted to put those reports to bed before Liverpool’s Premier League win over Newcastle on Sunday. However, he failed in his attempts to quell speculation, with rumours persisting over the weekend. 

It was put to the German that talk of Salah’s rumoured switch to Saudi Arabia has not gone away following their comeback win at St James’ Park. Klopp immediately clapped back with: “For me, it has.”

Klopp then abruptly left the interview area with Sky reporter Patrick Davison close to concluding the post-match chat. The Liverpool head coach had previously seemed in a jubilant mood after watching substitute Darwin Nunez bag a brace to help the 10-men Reds come from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1.

Salah was key to the victory despite a quiet first hour. He assisted Nunez’s second goal, helping the forward race through and finish clinically into the bottom corner of Nick Pope’s goal. 

The 31-year-old has been one of the most important players during Klopp’s reign at Anfield. The former Borussia Dortmund coach will therefore be desperate to keep him. 

Klopp said last week: “There is nothing to talk about, he is a Liverpool player.

“He is essential and will be. There is nothing there. My life philosophy [is] I think about a problem when I have it.”

Salah signed a two-year contract extension last summer, taking his Liverpool career to 2025. His agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, insisted that the deal would not have been signed if Salah’s entourage had any thoughts about taking him away from Anfield a year on. 

Responding to speculation, he said on August 7: “Mohamed remains committed to Liverpool. If we considered leaving Liverpool this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer.”