'My sources tell me' - Michael Owen shares what he's heard on Mohamed Salah Liverpool contract saga

Michael Owen has claimed that Mohamed Salah is yet to agree a new contract with Liverpool because he wants a longer-term deal. The Egyptian’s current deal expires at the end of the season.

After scoring a match-winning brace against Southampton on Sunday, the 32-year-old admitted he was disappointed by his current contract situation as he claimed the Reds were yet to approach him with a formal offer.

Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, he said: "Well, we are almost in December and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club, [so] I'm probably more out than in.

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"You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven't received anything yet about my future.

"I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see. Of course [no offer is disappointing], yeah.

"I'm not going to retire soon so I'm just playing, focusing on the season and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed but we will see.”

It is understood that there remains a willingness on both sides to reach an agreeable conclusion, with discussions that are said to be positive and constructive ongoing with Ramy Abbas, the Colombian lawyer who represents Salah.

Now Owen, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer of 2004 when he only a year left on his contract, believes Salah’s comments were a bad look for Liverpool.

“I think fans around the world will be very annoyed at the club,’ Owen told Optus Sport. “If that’s the case – and I can’t imagine Mo Salah is going to lie – then it’s really bad from the club’s point of view.

“My inkling, and I might be wrong, but what I hear is that Mo Salah is wanting a longer-term contract. When you’re young, you want short contracts, keep the desirability, keep them short and keep everybody wanting you. When you’re older of course you want stability and you want to be secure.

“He’s very different – he’s as fit as fiddle and he’s still banging them in. But if he’s going in [to negotiations] and asking for five years then rightly so the club will think that’s too long.

“So maybe they’re not even sitting down because Mo has said ‘Well I’m not going to talk to you if you are not going to give you five years,’ let’s say. And I don’t know entirely but my sources tell me it’s more of a term problem.

“One thing that Mo Salah has got the head start on is he’s just done that interview and straight away the fans are going to be thinking, ‘What are you doing, Liverpool Football Club.’”