Unthinkable Liverpool transfer edging closer after what happened against Leeds United - opinion
Mohamed Salah launched a scathing attack on Liverpool manager Arne Slot following his side’s disappointing 3-3 draw with Leeds United
On 10 April 2025, Liverpool fans across the country breathed a sigh of relief as legendary attacker Mohamed Salah committed his future to the club by signing a new two-year contract extension.
It put an end to a saga which had dragged out throughout the campaign, and left many Liverpool fans confident of the team’s ability to challenge for more honours in years to come. Within 17 days of Salah signing his extension, Liverpool were crowned champions of English football, equalling Manchester United’s record of 20 top-flight titles.
However, less than eight months after signing that extension, Salah’s future with the football club has never been more uncertain. After going on a run of 53 consecutive starts in the top-flight, Salah has been benched in all of the last three matches. He wasn’t used at all during a frustrating 3-3 draw with newly-promoted Leeds United, sparking a heated post-match interview which saw Salah accuse Arne Slot of throwing him under the boss while also hinting at a bombshell Liverpool exit after the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Salah’s recent comments raise huge alarmbells
After Liverpool’s costly 3-3 draw with Leeds, Salah told reporters: “I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. “The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed. 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.”
After the Leeds game - when Liverpool led 2-0 and then 3-2 before conceding a 96th-minute equaliser - Slot told Sky Sports why he did not use Salah off the bench.
"It was more about controlling the game [at 3-2] and we didn't need a goal," said Slot before Salah's interview. "Normally when you need a goal, like last week against Sunderland, I brought Mo on."
Speaking at his pre-match news conference on Friday, Slot said he understood the talk surrounding Salah after being dropped from the team. "The chatter, yes, because he deserves that, he has been so influential for me and [for] six or seven years. It's completely normal people talk about it when he isn't playing.”
Salah scored 29 times and registered 18 assists in the Premier League last season, but has struggled to hit the same heights with four goals and two assists from 13 matches. Nevertheless, he’s still the team’s second highest goalscorer and is outperforming club-record signing Alexander Isak. Salah added: “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.”
The forward is understood to be the subject of fresh interest from Saudi Arabia following rumours of a £150m move to the Middle East in the summer of 2023. Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad are thought to be two of the frontrunners, who could sign the winger once he’s finished competing in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The former Chelsea ace only intensified rumours of an exit, he added: “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.”
He also hinted that the Brighton game could be his final appearance at Anfield, adding: “Yesterday I said [to my mum]: ‘Come to the Brighton game. I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it.’ 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. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”
What does the future hold for Mohamed Salah?
Salah’s recent comments make it clear that there is a growing rift between himself and Slot which threatens to have a toxic effect on the rest of the dressing room.
The forward is Liverpool’s third highest scorer in history with 250 goals across all competitions, while he’s amongst the best in Premier League history with 190 goals in the competition - the fourth most of any player, with only Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney scoring more. He’s been a vital part of the club’s success since arriving but it seems as if the relationship between player and manager has reached boiling point - and it looks as if that bond could be beyond repair based on Salah’s decision to go public.
Ultimately, it seems from the outside looking in as if one of either Slot or Salah’s days at Anfield are numbered. Slot is currently navigating his way through a crisis after spending more than £450m on new recruits while experiencing a major drop off from a team that won the title at a canter. Meanwhile, Salah has 18 months on his deal, is experiencing a decline in form, and could potentially leave for a blockbuster figure, giving Slot more room to sign players for the future.
It’s a situation that few could have envisioned in May but it appears likely that one of Slot or Salah’s future at Anfield could be in jeopardy.