Jurgen Klopp: Mohamed Salah form not linked to new Liverpool contract

Jurgen Klopp has dismissed suggestions that Mohamed Salah's downturn in form has anything to do with the new contract he signed over the summer.

The Egyptian has scored just once in his last seven outings for Liverpool - a relative drought for a player who has plundered an incredible 173 goals in 284 appearances since moving to Anfield.

It has been suggested that this may have something to do with his motivation having waned after penning the most lucrative contract in the club's history in July.

However, Klopp has pushed back against that idea, insisting scrutiny of his No.11 is simply a result of Liverpool's poor recent results.

He said: "Attitude and these kinds of things will never be Mo's problem. Mo is a world-class athlete, so he's the first in, last out, trains hard all these kinds of things.

"Now he's not scoring but I think there are people out there who think, 'Why did they give Klopp a new contract?' That's how it is in our world, it's completely fine. If we don't deliver in moments there is criticism, it's no problem.

"You can question character, knowledge, ability, you have the right do everything, but you cannot score the amount of goals Mo scored if you are not an outstanding, world-class football player.

"There are moments of course when Mo would have scored last year - in the Brighton game it was 100% goal usually and now not. You think that has something to do with a new contract or whatever, it's just not right."

With Liverpool winless in three, out of the FA and League Cups, and ninth in the Premier League, Klopp himself is facing plenty of questions this season.

But the German believes his team are taking steps towards silencing the doubters by turning their form around.

He added: "Things are like they are and we can only stop these questions and discussions by performing to our top, top level and that's what we have to do and that's what we will work on.

"It never happened overnight but we make steps. It's not that everything we said four weeks ago was completely useless because nobody can see we learned anything of it.

"We are really on it and we are still positive, want to play the games and believe in our chances as well for reaching something special, even this year.

"Of course it's not great to be not the leader of the pack but we are in a position where we can improve the situation in the table a lot and that's what we want to do. We have to start tomorrow and keep going from there."