Salah has 'a year to prove' his worth after new Liverpool contract, says Nigel de Jong

Mohamed Salah has "one year to prove" that he is worthy of the exceptional new deal handed to him by Liverpool, believes former Dutch international Nigel de Jong.

The Egypt international ended long-running speculation over his future in July by signing a new three-year contract to see him through to 2025 at Anfield.

With Sadio Mane leaving for Bayern Munich, the move was a big part of Liverpool's off-season transfer activity to keep one of the key figures of the Jurgen Klopp era on Merseyside.

But a slow start to the season for Liverpool has seen Salah and others come under fire, with the striker's second goal of Monday's new Premier League campaign against Manchester United not enough to avoid a 2-1 defeat for the Reds.

With just two points from their opening three games, Liverpool are already arguably facing an uphill battle in the title race with Manchester City, and now De Jong felt Salah has limited time to justify faith witnessed to him.< /p>

"If I was the sporting director and I had just extended the contract of probably the best player in my team, I would give you a year to prove yourself," he told beIN SPORTS.

“Is he still worth [three] years? You have to produce the same numbers, especially on the salaries he receives.

"I think it's really important for Salah, and also for Liverpool, to find a way to succeed together in order to ensure that he stays at Liverpool for a long time. Otherwise, they also have to make a decision.

"I've said it many times over the last couple of years: Mane is the soul of the team. He's a complete player in his energy, in the numbers he produces, in the way he moves forward .

"Of course, I'm not saying that Salah is not a great player, but he is stunning when it comes to numbers."