Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he was only “10 per cent sure” he would remain at the club before eventually signing a new two-year deal.
The Egyptian international, who joined the Reds from Roma in 2017, has been a key figure for the club, helping them secure multiple major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League.
Despite his remarkable form this season, in which he has netted 33 goals and provided 23 assists in 50 matches, Salah says he had serious doubts about his future at Anfield.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 32-year-old explained that his uncertainty stemmed from Liverpool’s history of not giving more than a year contract to players over 30.
“Based on the club’s history, 10 per cent (chance of staying). Because we know the philosophy of the club, I’m not attacking them,” he said.
“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 (laughs). I didn’t want more than that, just the two years.”
