“Why should they stay?” – Agbonlahor warns Liverpool about ‘stubborn’ Salah and Mane who ‘want their value’ amid concerns over future

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has called Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane's future at Liverpool into question, with the duo being the subject of transfer interest for clubs across Europe.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Agbonlahor claimed that the duo will be looking at other elite players' contracts across Europe and will be wanting to be paid the same. He said:

"They’re going to want their value, Salah and Mane, and if Liverpool aren’t willing to give them that. They’re stubborn enough players, if Kevin de Bruyne is getting it, Erling Haaland’s getting it, Jadon Sancho’s getting it, then you’ve got to pay the same as those players. If you don’t, they’ll move on and that’s what Mane’s probably thinking."

Mane has recently been linked with a move to German powerhouse Bayern Munich. Agbonlahor believes that the forward would opt to depart the Reds if the German club pay him what he wants. He said:

“If Bayern Munich can pay him what he deserves and give him the length of contract that he wants, then he’ll go. When you’re looking at the Mbappe deal, De Bruyne sorting his own contract, you’re looking at what Haaland is getting and these agents will know the levels of the deals and Salah will be thinking ‘I’m getting top goalscorer season after season, you are giving me what I want or I’m going’. Mane as well. They love Liverpool, they’ve been there for a number of years but if you don’t give them what they’re worth, why should they stay?"

The Liverpool duo's current deals at the club are set to expire next summer and there has not been any progress in negotiations over contract extensions.

"The two best players in the world right now" - Dean Saunders on Liverpool duo

The duo have been two of the Reds' standout players

Former Reds striker Dean Saunders heaped praise on Salah and Mane, echoing Agbonlahor's statements. He said:

"The two players we’re talking about, for me, are the two best players in the world right now. Salah and Mane, it’s guaranteed that they’re going to get 25 goals a season. Take Wayne Rooney for example. I don’t think he plays for money, I think he loves football and if everyone was playing for nothing, he would play for nothing. The minute that someone gets £100k a week, whose not as good as Wayne, Wayne would say ‘I need what he’s getting, I’m better than him’. I think Salah and Mane are looking at Mbappe and thinking ‘well, what are you going to pay us?"