Liverpool legend claims Mo Salah 'is off' this summer as Jurgen Klopp argument discussed

Three-time European Cup winner and former Liverpool star Graeme Souness believes Mohamed Salah will leave Anfield this summer with the forward entering the final year of his contract on Merseyside.

Salah joined the Reds from AS Roma in 2017 and has gone on to establish himself as one of the club’s greatest-ever players. He has scored 210 goals, a record only bettered by Roger Hunt’s 262 and Ian Rush’s seemingly-unbeatable tally of 339. However, Salah has averaged 0.61 goals a game for Liverpool and with players to score 50 or more goals, only Luis Suarez can better that with 0.62 goals per 90 minutes for the club.

Last summer, Salah was the subject of major interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad who reportedly had a bid worth up to £150m rejected by Liverpool. The club were also reportedly ready to offer the Egyptian a mega-money contract over three years.

Salah stayed put, but with his contract running out at the end of next season, questions have been raised over the player’s future. The Athletic reported earlier this week that Salah was expected to remain at Anfield while incoming sporting director Richard Hughes is set to open contract talks with the player.

Souness is not convinced Salah will stick around. He told William Hill’s new podcast, Three Up Front: “I believe Mohamed Salah is off and leaving Liverpool. He has been fabulous for Liverpool, but if he leaves to the Saudi Pro League then he’ll be the biggest star in that part of the world. He no doubt has an exceptionally large opinion of himself, and he’ll have been angry at not starting the game against West Ham last week. I think the situation with Jürgen Klopp was a reaction to only being brought on with 10 minutes to go – it was more Salah than it was Klopp in that confrontation.”

Souness described Salah as the most selfish player he has ever watched as he continued to discuss last weekend’s incident on the touchline at West Ham. However, he said it was a quality he likes in players and that he would still walk into the starting XI at both Manchester City and Arsenal.

He added: “Salah is the most selfish player I have ever witnessed. Even prior to that game, whenever Klopp takes him off, he is never happy about it. That is what you want from your players, if you take them off on two goals, they should want to stay on to score a third. When Sadio Mané was there they’d fall out all the time.

 “Salah has been world class in his time at Liverpool. Goals change games and his goals have had an enormous influence on Liverpool since he’s been at the club. I think he still gets into the Arsenal team and certainly would’ve gotten into the Manchester City team over the past five years.”