Do footballers lose motivation after signing long-term contracts?

Shortly after Mo Salah signed a three-year contract in July 2022, Graeme Souness took to talkSPORT to question the striker’s motivation. The former Liverpool captain’s concern was simple: in his mind, Salah’s relatively mediocre start to the season was related to waning motivation, trigged by the Egyptian’s new deal. But is there any basis to the charge…