Liverpool: Mohamed Salah towards an inevitable departure?

Mohamed Salah in difficulty

One may well respect the status of the player at Liverpool and his consistency since his arrival at Anfield in 2017, but we all agree that Mohamed Salah has been in difficulty since the beginning of the new season. The Pharaoh who has often been the spark that lights the way for the Reds even in their darkest series, has become the shadow of himself.

Between August and October, Mohamed Salah was particularly discreet, winning 7 matches without a goal scored in the Premier League. A long famine that alerted more than once to a potential first part of the season complicated for the Egyptian. A little more than a month later, Salah still hasn’t found his stride and has (only) 4 goals and 2 assists in 13 games in the league (5 goals and 3 assists in 19 games in all competitions).

Figures that are far from his usual standards and which pushed Arne Slot to take responsibility by keeping the attacker on the bench on a bounce, a scenario that no one would have imagined a few months ago, during the last three games of Liverpool. To the great displeasure of Mohamed Salah who was forced to speak on Saturday evening after watching from the bench his team being caught up by Leeds (3-3).

Salah - Arne Slot, the point of no return?

On the bench against West Ham (2-0), Sunderland (1-1) and Leeds United (3-3), Mohamed Salah very little appreciated the coaching of Dutch coach Arne Slot and went up to the slot on Saturday night to be heard, explaining not knowing anything about what could have deteriorated his relationship with the latter.

«I am very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club over the years, and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and don’t know why. It looks like the club threw me under the bus. That’s how I feel. It is very clear to me that someone wanted me to bear all the responsibility,"

 Salah said on Saturday in Viaplay.

Before continuing:

 “I’ve had a lot of promises this summer and so far I’ve been on the bench for three games, so I can’t say that the promises are kept. I often said that I had a good relationship with the coach, and suddenly, there is no longer any relationship. I don’t know why, but I feel like someone doesn’t want me at the club anymore.”

A charge release that is revealing of the deep pain and isolation between Mohamed Salah and his coach and which lends credence to the hypothesis of a departure this winter. The latter, in trying to save his position (Liverpool have lost 9 of their last 15 matches) is about to kick one of the legends out of the club’s history.

Saudi Arabia in ambush

 
For two years now, Saudi Arabia has had Mohamed Salah in its sights. And if the Pharaon has long refused the advances of the clubs of the Saudi Pro League who are nevertheless ready to build a golden bridge for him, he hands them more than ever the pole to return to the charge a few weeks before the opening of the winter transfer market.

Asked about the possibility of a transfer to the Kingdom, Mo Salah preferred to play the diplomacy card: 

"In football, you never know. I don’t accept this situation. I have done so much for this club. I don’t want to answer this question (about Saudi Arabia), because the club will take me in a different direction. After everything I’ve done for this club, it really hurts. Imagine: you go from your home to the club without knowing if you are going to start (...)», 

confided Salah.

 After an outing as incendiary as the one he made on Saturday, it is very unlikely to consider a future for the Pharaon at Anfield. And this, despite his contract extension until 2031 last summer.

At 33 years old and after eight years spent with Liverpool where he is the current third best scorer in history (250 goals) and second best setter in history (88), Mohamed Salah may have played his last match with the Reds on November 26 against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League (defeat 4-1).