Mohamed Salah seems to have accepted the fact that he will likely not remain at Liverpool next season.
The 32-year-old club legend is in his eighth season with Liverpool, but with no new contract in place his future at Anfield appears to be in doubt.
That hasn’t stopped the Egyptian from scoring 10 times in 12 Premier League appearances this season.
His top form has played a key part in Liverpool building an eight-point lead at the top of the table after a dozen matches.
‘Not in my hands’
Asked if Salah had received a new offer from Liverpool yet, after their 3-2 away league win over Southampton on Sunday, the star forward cut a dejected figure.
"We are almost in December and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club. I'm probably more out than in,” said Salah.
"You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands.”
Probed about whether he was disappointed not to have heard anything yet, Salah was emphatic in his response.
"Of course, yeah. I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see.
"I'm not going to retire soon so I'm just playing, focusing on the season and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed but we will see.”
Liverpool are the only side other than Manchester City to have won the league in the last seven seasons.
Though it was 30 years between league titles for Liverpool in 2019/2020 when they were crowned champions, the odds now seem firmly stacked in their favour, albeit early in the season still, to claim their second in less than a decade.
It would indeed be a title for the ages for Liverpool, in Arne Slot’s first season as coach of the Anfield outfit.