Egypt’s Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi has confessed that he told Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool amidst contract talks but the forward told him that he wants to stay at Anfield with the Reds. The 29-year-old has less than fifteen months left on his current contract and is reportedly keen on staying.

While Mohamed Salah hasn’t stopped scoring goals at will this season, it has seen the focus shift to not just Salah but to the Egyptian, Liverpool and his contract situation. The 29-year-old will enter the final year of his current deal at the end of the 2021/22 season and has been linked with a move to Spain and France in the recent past. However, reports have also indicated that Liverpool and the forward are in negotiations over a new contract with a lucrative four year deal on the table.

But while no agreement has been reached between the two parties, there is a genuine concern from the Anfield faithful that Salah could leave for new pastures next summer. However, Ashraf Sobhi has revealed that while he told Salah to continue “his journey at a club other than Liverpool”, the Egyptian told him that his desire is to stay with the Reds. The Egypt Sports Minister also added that the forward’s focus is now with the Reds after Egypt’s failure to reach the World Cup.

“I met with Mohamed Salah at the airport after the end of the Senegal match and the failure to reach the World Cup finals and said to him to forget what happened and focus on what’s next. I have advised him to continue his journey at a club other than Liverpool, but his direction now is to renew his contract with Liverpool. There are campaigns against Salah directed by some to bring him down, but I asked him not to pay attention to them,” Sobhi said, reported Goal