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          Salah stays! Liverpool's surprise contract news sent social media wild

          • Chris Wright, Toe Poke writerJul 1, 2022, 04:17 PM

          Mohamed Salah has signed a long-term contract extension at Liverpool to bring a conclusive end to months of speculation and conjecture over his immediate future.

          The Reds announced on Friday afternoon that the club have reached an agreement with Salah over an extension to his deal that will see the Egyptian forward remain at Anfield until the summer of 2025.

          "It's a happy day for everyone," said Salah in a statement published on the official Liverpool website. "It takes a little bit of time, I think, to renew, but now everything is done so we just need to focus on what's next."

          In five years on Merseyside, Salah has played a pivotal part in multiple successes under Jurgen Klopp, scoring 156 goals in 254 appearances while winning the Premier League title, the Champions League, and a domestic cup double in 2021-22, along with a clutch of individual accolades.

          Liverpool and Salah announce new contract

          Liverpool first hinted at their big news with a lighthearted video posted on social media that showed Salah looking cool and calm, relaxing by the pool, before he pulled on his No.11 jersey.

          Salah then followed up with a still shot of that famous red shirt draped across his shoulders.

          The Reds then made the official announcement to confirm that the reigning FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year had put pen to paper to extend his stay until beyond his 33rd birthday.

          The official Liverpool Twitter account reacted to a tweet sent by Salah's agent earlier in the day, having a pointed jab at Ramy Abbas Issa's ambiguous emoji with a facepalm of their own.

          Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had already reacted to Issa's tweet by speaking on behalf of the perplexed fan base and dismissing it as "cryptic crap."

          Fans' delight

          Naturally, after losing Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich last month, Liverpool fans around the globe were absolutely delighted to learn that their favourite star striker had signed up for the long haul.

          Reds' legend sends a message

          Even venerated club legend Sir Kenny Dalglish was moved to express his elation at Salah's decision to stick around while heralding the "fantastic news."

          Salah's stats

          With a goal-scoring record as formidable as Salah's, it's hardly surprising that the extended Liverpool family were left to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

          Key stats (via ESPN Stats & Information research)

          - He has scored 156 goals in 254 appearances for Liverpool, ninth in the all-time top goal scorers list for the Reds.

          - He is the top goal scorer in history for Egypt (45 goals in 83 games).

          - He is Liverpool's record all-time goal scorer in the Champions League with 34 goals in the competition.