Liverpool star Luis Diaz has made a desperate plea to Mohamed Salah in a bid to convince him to stay at the Reds.
Salah is widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s best players of the modern era, scoring 214 goals in 352 games for the club – the most recent coming against arch rivals Manchester United at the weekend.
But the forward raised eyebrows following the game when he implied that the current season would be his last with the club, clarifying that his contract is up soon and he is not yet in negotiations over a new deal.
Diaz himself scored twice in the game, with both strikes set up by the Egyptian. There could, though, be just a handful more games remaining for the two stars when it comes to playing together.
Now on international duty with Colombia, Diaz has opened up on what it would feel like to lose Salah, who could leave the club for free next summer if he doesn’t pen a new contract.
Luis Diaz (left) has given a desperate plea to Mohamed Salah (right) over his Liverpool future
The Reds forward raised eyebrows at the weekend when he said that he is currently in his ‘last year’ at Liverpool
He clarified that his current contract expires at the end of the season and no negotiations have taken place
‘It would be hard for us,’ Diaz told Telemundo. ‘It would be hard for Liverpool.
‘It’s going to hurt us a lot. He still has a year to think about it, it’s not easy. He always gives his very best.
‘He has done it from the start. It would be very hard to lose a key player like him. It’s his decision and we respect that, but I hope he doesn’t leave.’
Salah told Sky Sports at Old Trafford on Sunday: ‘I was coming to the game and I said, “look, it could be the last time (at Old Trafford)”.
‘Nobody from the club has talked to me yet about contracts. It’s not up to me, it’s up to the club but we will see.
‘As you know, it’s my last year in the club. I just want to enjoy it. I don’t want to think about it (the contract). I feel I’m free to play football and we’ll see what’s going to happen next year.’
The Egyptian joined the club from Roma for £34million in 2017, and has gone onto win the Champions League, the Premier League and other accolades on Merseyside.
He is one of three key Liverpool players whose deals are up next summer, with no agreement close with any of the players.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, like Salah, have less than a year remaining on their deals, with Reds fans starting to grow nervous over their futures.
The contracts of Trent Alexander-Arnold (left) and Virgil van Dijk (right) will also expire at the end of the season
Salah has scored 214 goals in 352 games for Liverpool since arriving from Roma in 2017
Diaz, meanwhile, joined the club for £50m a little over two years ago, and has scored 27 goals in 101 appearances since then.
He had struggled for consistency under Jurgen Klopp, but has played a vital role for Arne Slot so far, starting all three Premier League matches this season and scoring three goals.