Liverpool have made a big decision over the immediate future of Mohamed Salah after his explosive attack on the club and Arne Slot over the weekend.
Salah was left out of the starting lineup for a third successive game on Saturday, watching from the bench as an unused substiute as Liverpool were held to a 3-3 draw with Leeds United.
And the 33-year-old, who signed a new two-year contract over the summer, made clear his unhappiness at the current situation in a scathing post-match interview with reporters.
Salah insisted he has ‘no relationship’ with Slot and blamed the club for ‘throwing him under the bus’ and scapegoating him for their poor start to the season.
And he also appeared to throw his future at Liverpool into doubt, suggesting that he could leave the club in the January transfer window when he returns from the AFCON in the New Year.
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The forward still has two games with Liverpool before he joins up with his Egyptian teammates for AFCON: Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan and the visit of Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Salah was pictured in training on Sunday after not featuring at Elland Road, and was seen again arriving at Liverpool’s training ground on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s European encounter with Inter.
The Guardian reported that senior members of Liverpool’s hierarchy met to discuss Salah’s comments and his situation over the weekend.
And additional reports from French outlet RMC have now confirmed that Salah has been left out of Liverpool’s squad for the game against Inter and will not travel with the team to Italy.
Slot’s side trained on Monday morning before flying to Italy in the afternoon.
The Dutchman will then hold his pre-match press conference later on Monday evening to address questions on Salah’s comments for the first time.
What did Salah say? Key quotes from explosive interview
- On being benched again versus Leeds: ‘The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.’
- On his relationship with Arne Slot: ‘I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.’
- On whether Saturday’s game against Brighton could be his last Liverpool game: ‘In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup (of Nations). I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.’
- On whether he regrets signing a new contract last season: ‘Imagine how bad that I have to answer it, honestly. That hurts, even the question hurts. This club, signing for this club, I will never regret it. I thought I’m going to renew here and end my career here, but this is not according to the plan.’
- On transfer interest from the Saudi Pro League: ‘I don’t want to answer this question, because the club is going to take me to a different direction.’
Regardless of his involvement in the next few days, Salah’s comments have thrown his future at Anfield into grave doubt, with a host of clubs likely to be monitoring the sitaution ahead of January.
Salah’s £400,000-a-week Liverpool contract will make any deal difficult, but clubs in Saudi Arabia are likely to reignite their interest having made several attempts to sign the Egyptian over the past couple of summers.
Al-Ittihad failed in a £150m move for Salah in September 2023 but are said to be interested, while The Sun report that Al-Hilal, who signed Salah’s former Liverpool teammate Darwin Nunez for £46m last summer, are also keen.
Other reports suggest that the Reds are ‘open-minded’ about Salah’s future ahead of the January transfer window, although his recent comments could change that situation drastically.
Asked specifically about interest from Saudi during his explosive interview, Salah said: ‘I don’t want to answer this question, because the club is going to take me to a different direction.’
Only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt have scored more goals for Liverpool than Salah, who joined the club in a £34m move from Roma in 2017.
The 33-year-old – the fourth-leading goalscorer in Premier League history – has won the Golden Boot award four times, the joint-most in history.
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