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MOHAMED SALAH floored Manchester City again — and then dropped a hint for the FOURTH time this season he will leave Liverpool.The Egyptian forward sealed a huge victory from the penalty spot on 78 minutes to move the Reds nine points clear at the top.Mohamed Salah suggested he will leave Liverpool at the end of the seasonCredit: https://x.com/OptusSportHe claimed it was probably ‘the last City game he will play for Liverpool’Credit: https://x.com/OptusSportSalah, who had already set up Cody Gakpo’s first-half opener, said afterwards he believed “in his head” it will be the last time he faces Pep Guardiola’s men at Anfield — so was determined to enjoy it.The 32-year-old forward is out of contract in the summer and said last month there is no offer on the table to extend his stay on Merseyside beyond eight years.Salah said: “Honestly that’s what’s in my head — this is in all probability the last City game I will play for Liverpool so I am just going to enjoy it.“The atmosphere was incredible so I will enjoy every second here.Read More in Football“Hopefully we just win the league and will see what will happen.”Salah is believed to be looking for a new three-year deal at Anfield and will want similar terms to his existing contract.So far the club’s owners, FSG, have refused to bow to his wage demands and he knows there would be mega money on offer in the Saudi Pro League.He again underlined his importance to the Reds and their title pursuit as he took his tally for the season to 13.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIf this campaign does prove to be his swansong then he looks likely to sign off in style with the Reds now 11 points ahead of City, who saw Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal move into second spot on goal difference.Salah said of his Anfield experience and the crucial victory: “It’s very special. I don’t take it for granted. I’m enjoying every minute here. It feels like home.Mo Salah admits he’s ‘more OUT than in’ as he piles pressure on Liverpool to offer him a new contract“It’s always a special feeling always scoring at Anfield and winning games. We know that City are going to come and try to win the game here but we managed to play a good game and win.”While Salah took the headlines, Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk, was also outstanding as four-in-a-row champions City barely threatened and have now slipped to fifth place in the table.The Dutch centre back — another whose contract is ticking down along with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold — said there is still a long way to go despite their huge gap.Van Dijk said: “We focus on the next game. That’s the only thing we can do.“There’s no point at this stage of the season to get ahead of ourselves. Of course, everybody wants to be in a position where they are 11 points in front of their opponents.“But there’s so many twists and turns. We have injuries to our team unfortunately and we have to deal with that as well.“It is game-by-game and stay calm. But when you win games like this it is always a good feeling.”Dutch forward Gakpo added a strike against the English champs to the one he got against European kings Real Madrid in midweek — following the late win against Southampton the previous weekend.But there is no time for the Merseysiders to celebrate as they go to Newcastle on Wednesday night and then have a Merseyside derby next weekend and Gakpo said: “It was a big week for us and we won all three of them.“Life is good. We’re winning games as a team so it feels good. But everyone knows the season is not over yet. We have to stay focussed.“Recover well, sleep good, train hard. It’s working until now and we still have to do that and keep each other sharp.”READ MORE SUN STORIESLiverpool fully deserved their win as City’s recent slump continued — losing a sixth game in their last seven matches.Gakpo added: “I will not say they are low on confidence but they are not in their best moments. In some moments they showed they are so good on the ball.” More

WHEN Mo Salah whipped off his shirt the other day and showed off that impressive six pack, I thought one thing — hope my missus isn’t watching.It was the same for most blokes up and down the country. I didn’t have muscles like that even in my prime as a player. We didn’t do weights in my day.A lot of blokes will be relieved if ripped Mo Salah leaves Liverpool next summerCredit: RexArne Slot has to accept his star man is going to exit on a free transferCredit: GettyAs well as giving the ladies a treat, that exhibition of his amazing abs also underlines what a fantastic athlete Salah is, as well as one of Liverpool’s all-time greats and still a formidable footballer.Even at 32, if you gave him a three-year contract next summer, he isn’t going to suddenly fall off a cliff with his fitness or his play.But if I were in Arne Slot’s place, as his manager at Anfield, I’d be thinking that Salah is gone after this season, no matter what cryptic messages he puts out to muddy the waters over his future.If he hasn’t signed by now, then to me Salah is gone, despite those comments about the club not coming up with a new offer like he did.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLLet’s be honest, next summer he could head over to Saudi Arabia and pocket a £100million signing-on fee alone. And that’s without his wages on top. His transfer market worth must be £80-100m.Last summer Liverpool could have got more than that but the move to Saudi’s Pro League didn’t come off — that surprised me.Now of course, in the age of the Bosman free transfer, a lot of what Liverpool would have collected will go Salah’s way.He has a choice. If he is purely football driven, stay at Anfield. But even for someone like him, if clubs are dangling crazy figures in front of you, it becomes difficult to turn down.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe could have gone last year but was probably thinking that most of the £100m or even £200m Liverpool would have got for him, will be going his way in 12 months’ time, so he is sitting it out.In some ways if he wins the Premier League title again with Liverpool this season, it seems like a fitting way to go out.Jamie Carragher slams Mo Salah over ‘selfish’ interview after Liverpool star reveals he’s ‘more out than in’You have to be honest and think to yourself that this uncertainty has been dragging on for so long now that it makes things even more certain. That he is leaving.The carefully-scripted speeches, designed to keep people guessing, are just there to stop him burning his bridges with the fans.He doesn’t want to go out in bad faith with supporters — and I get that.Next summer he can leave and then sit down and write his own cheque for a deal to take him to Saudi.He could go to any club in the world — Real Madrid maybe? But even they would struggle to compete with the money on offer in the Middle East.And imagine what a superstar he would be out there.It suits him as a Muslim, for starters, and to have players like him around at any club would be incredible for others in the squad.A fantastic example to set for young hopeful prosHarry RedknappYounger players can look at guys like Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo, watch how they train, that they don’t eat rubbish, don’t drink, don’t abuse their bodies.They can watch and learn what is required if you want to be like Mo Salah. A fantastic example to set for young hopeful pros.It’s a world away from when I started out in management at Bournemouth. We were talking £200-a-week contracts back then, long before the advent of the Bosman Ruling.When I was at West Ham we sold Rio Ferdinand to Leeds for £18m — a lot of money back then.The chairman, Terry Brown, said to me he thought it would be one of the last big transfers because with the incoming Bosman Ruling, all players would choose to run their contracts down and leave for free.That was his belief and you can understand his feelings at the time, yet the transfers have just got crazier.If nothing else, Salah leaving England next summer would be a great relief to blokes everywhere who have been sucking their stomachs in since those pictures of his rack came out.Frank Lampard needs to bring in a wise head to assist him at Coventry CityCredit: GettyBEING FRANKIF I could offer one piece of advice to Frank Lampard on his return to management with Coventry it would be to get a wise, old head on his staff.Not me, I’ve had it, but someone that is a little bit more experienced than him, that he can talk to.When I went to Portsmouth as manager, I brought in Jim Smith. I was an experienced manager myself by then but he was still brilliant for me to have around.Frank has got a difficult job on at Coventry and to have an older man on the team to sound out would be a huge benefit. But fair play to Frank for coming back into the game. He has got so much to offer.His football knowledge is immense and his reputation as a player, and the way he carried himself as a player, will hopefully rub off on the squad.It’s about getting the right job. For example, people are waiting for Wayne Rooney to fail in every job.But he has gone to Plymouth and although it is a big club, they don’t have money.They just about stayed up last season. Wayne’s up against it from the start. Yet I have sat down with him and spoken about football and he has the makings of a terrific manager.You just need the right club at the right time.Kieran McKenna and Ipswich have been impressive this seasonCredit: ReutersTRACTOR NOISEWATCHING Ipswich this season makes me think they are the best placed to spring a surprise and stay up.The way they play, the energy, the atmosphere at Portman Road, especially last Sunday against Manchester United, really warmed me to them.READ MORE SUN STORIESKieran McKenna has a good side there and comes across so well.I’m rooting for them. More