Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Frank Lampard has explained why there should still be optimism at Anfield despite the uncertainty around Mohamed Salah’s future
Frank Lampard has explained why Liverpool’s win over Bayer Leverkusen provided evidence that the club could still thrive even if Mohamed Salah does leave. The Reds recorded a 4-0 win over the German club in the Champions League on Tuesday night at Anfield.
After a goalless first half, Liverpool responded with four goals after the interval including a Luis Diaz hat-trick to secure the points. Cody Gakpo was also on the score sheet as the Reds maintained their 100 percent start to the league phase of the competition to move to the top of the overall standings.
Despite not finding the back of the net, Salah still managed to provide two assists for Liverpool – one each to Diaz and Gakpo – and played a pivotal role in helping the Reds claim the victory. It will be Diaz, though, with the hat-trick that will grab the headlines, and it’s the form of the Colombia international that has seen Lampard make a claim about the long-term future of the Liverpool forward line.
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Salah’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, as are those of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. As things stand, the Egyptian could leave Liverpool on a free transfer next summer and would be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of England from January.
Talks remain ongoing between Liverpool and Salah’s representatives, and it remains to be seen if an agreement will be reached before the New Year or the end of the campaign. Lampard has explained, though, why the hat-trick for Diaz and goal from Gakpo is proof that the Reds have players in their squad that could step up to replace Salah if needed.
“This is not a problem for tonight, but if they’re going to lose Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk [on free transfers], that is a possible derail to this Liverpool machine, there’s no doubt about that,” Lampard told Amazon Prime Sport.
“They [Liverpool] have to look at it and think about the big picture. For me, you would always try to keep Salah.
“But when you have other players now developing alongside that, then you can see a future, possibly, if you don’t have him.”
