Manchester City have secured the most important contract priority of the season with Pep Guardiola – attention must now turn to Kevin De Bruyne.

Mo Salah’s timing was curious. Would the same thing have happened to Manchester City?

Players of Salah’s stature only speak when they need to. Liverpool had just dug deep at Southampton to record a vital three points in the Premier League title race to take an eight-point lead over a faltering city. That gap can reach 11 next weekend if Liverpool beat City at Anfield, so Arne Slot’s men surely wanted to keep things positive in a potentially title-defining week.

After all, in 2019/20 they blew City away so emphatically in the first half of the season that even Pep Guardiola’s winning machine couldn’t stop the title heading to Merseyside. Salah then stopped to speak to reporters outside St Mary’s.

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Salah is in the final year of his contract with Liverpool and wants to stay, but there have been no new offers and fans are starting to worry about the possibility of losing their hero. He has shown this season that he is still an incredible force in the Premier League and shows no signs of slowing down.

“Well, it’s almost December and I haven’t received any offers to stay at the club yet,” the 32-year-old said. “I’m probably more outside than inside.

“You know I have been at the club for many years. There is no club like this. But ultimately, it’s not in my hands. As I said before, it’s December and I haven’t received anything about my future yet. I love the fans. The fans love me. Ultimately, it’s not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see. I’m disappointed but we’ll see.

So the onus is definitely on Liverpool. The general consensus among media following Liverpool is that this is a calculated decision by Salah. He didn’t need to say anything on Sunday, but he did.

On the one hand, Salah’s comments and the contract impasse have absolutely nothing to do with City – although it would benefit City if they fail to lead Liverpool’s title race next season.

On the other hand, it reminds City of the need to handle sensitive contract negotiations carefully. Salah, 32, is in a similar situation at City Talisman Kevin De Bruyne33 years old. End of contract this summer and no noise yet regarding an extension.

De Bruyne, for his part, is calm about the situation. Speaking at the start of the season, he said talks hadn’t started, but he expected them to and would make a decision based on his family, the “project” presented to him and various factors. Pep Guardiola said he had no news of negotiations earlier this month, suggesting all parties remain calm.

De Bruyne’s situation is also different. He has spent much of the last 18 months out of action, with recurring injuries hampering his ability to be there for City. This should play a role in the negotiations, and City have shown with Ilkay Gundogan and Sergio Aguero that they will not make emotional contract decisions, even for club legends.

Yet De Bruyne’s form at the end of last season and the start of this one is a reminder that he is by far the Etihad’s best footballer when fit. With Guardiola signed for two more years, it surely makes sense to have De Bruyne as part of the transition to a new rebuild rather than deciding his future for him.

City have acted discreetly, calmly and efficiently to resolve the two most pressing contractual issues so far this season – the retirement of Txiki Begiristain – and the appointment of Hugo Viana – and Guardiola’s new contract.

Now attention should turn to De Bruyne and they will hope to avoid a public battle with their star player like the one unfolding at Liverpool.