Mohamed Salah confirms he will stay at Liverpool next season but Sadio Mane will reveal future after Champions League final
Mo Salah and Sadio Mane's contracts both expire at the end of next season; Salah said: "I am staying next season for sure."; Mane said: "This question [about my future] I will answer after Champions League" | Jurgen Klopp says Thiago could be fit for Champions League final
Friday 27 May 2022 10:20, UK
Mohamed Salah has confirmed that he will be at Liverpool next season but Sadio Mane says he will reveal his future after the Champions League final.
Both players are out of contract next summer and have been linked with moves away from Liverpool, although Premier League Golden Boot joint-winner Salah has repeatedly said publicly he would like to remain at Anfield beyond his current deal.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's Champions League final, the pair gave updates on their situation. Both Salah and Mane will be 31 when their existing contracts run out next summer.
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Salah said in a press conference: "In my mind, I don't focus on the contract. I don't want to be selfish at all. I said two months ago it's about the team. It's an important week for us.
"I'm just focused on the team and winning the Champions League again. I want to see Hendo [Jordan Henderson] with the trophy in the hands and hopefully he gives it to me. I don't want to talk about the contract now, I'm staying next season for sure, that's clear."
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Salah has previously said that money was not the reason behind his deal nearing its conclusion.
Speaking separately, Mane - who has scored 120 goals in 268 games for Liverpool - told Sky Sports News: "This question [about my future] I will answer after Champions League. If I'm staying or not, I'm going to answer after Champions League."
Following on from his players' comments, manager Jurgen Klopp said the result in Paris would not affect the outcome of discussions with Salah or Mane, and said all of his players were already aware of the club's intentions regarding their futures.
He said: "No [it will not have an effect]. Not at all. What do you mean? If we win then they will want to go now? Or… We are in talks with all the players. But no [it has not affected the players], now is not the time.
"Sometimes players have this idea, we have another, sometimes they don't match immediately but we work together, we have known each other for ages. It's all fine.
"It is all clear, not one of them is waiting to hear from us what we want to do."
Bayern want Mane for less than £42.5m
Bayern Munich are confident they can sign Sadio Mane for less than €50m (£42.5m) this summer, according to Sky Germany.
Mane has one year left on his Liverpool contract and talks over a renewal have proven difficult.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has made Mane the top priority on his transfer list and met his representatives this month to formalise the interest.
Paris Saint-Germain were also linked with Mane but Kylian Mbappe's contract extension and Leonardo's possible exit as sporting director means the club are unlikely to have the financial leeway to strike a deal.
Mane said he will reveal where his future lies after the Champions League final on Saturday but promised a "special" answer following the showpiece event in Paris against Real Madrid.
"Honestly I think the answer I can give you now is I feel very good, and I am fully focused on Saturday's game, that is the answer I must give before the final," he said on Thursday.
"But come back to me on Saturday and I will give you the best answer you want to hear, for sure. It's special. I will give you all you want to hear then.
"I love what I am doing and I sacrifice myself all the time; I am working hard every single day on the pitch and in the gym and I get better and better, that's the most important. I am trying my best to help the team."
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Klopp: Thiago could be fit for final | Van Dijk 'absolutely fine'
Thiago Alcantara's hopes of being fit for Saturday's final against Real Madrid in Paris had seemed remote after he sat out group training on Wednesday morning - a session midfield colleague Fabinho had recovered in time to take part in.
But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp suggested the Spanish midfielder may shake off an injury he suffered in Sunday's win over Wolves in time to play some part.
"I would imagine he's got a a good chance [of being fit for the Champions League final]," he said on Wednesday. "He will be training in the afternoon. He did some stuff this morning, it was not planned for him to do this session with the players.
"At this moment it looks like he will be part of training tomorrow. That would be pretty helpful, obviously. Then we go from there.
"After the game I was not positive about it but this is surprisingly good."
Another positive for Klopp comes in the shape of Virgil Van Dijk, who sat out the final two games of the season after an injury suffered in the FA Cup final but told Liverpool's official website on Wednesday he was "absolutely fine" ahead of the final.
Whatever happens against Real Madrid, Liverpool will have banked a minimum of two trophies this season after lifting the FA and Carabao Cups earlier in the campaign.
Klopp told reporters his side had already been guaranteed a great season - but it would be "fantastic" to round off the year with a second Champions League trophy in four years.
He said: "Without the Champions League, this would be a great season. With it would be fantastic. There are levels, that is fine.
"You never know how often you will reach the Champions League final, you better use the few opportunities you get so for us this is really special.
"This is our third final in five years, that is really special. I cannot wait. Just having the chance to go again is really special."