By Mike McGrath

 

LIVERPOOL, ENGLANG, 07 Dec. - (ANA) - Mohamed Salah has sensationally opened the door to leaving Liverpool after a breakdown in his relationship with Arne Slot, accusing the club of “throwing me under the bus”.

 

Liverpool’s third-greatest goalscorer has turned on his club in an astonishing interview after being dropped from Slot’s team for the last three games, including the 3-3 draw at Leeds United on Saturday.

 

He says he could now say farewell to fans at Anfield next Saturday before going to the Africa Cup of Nations on December 15. There is interest from Saudi Arabia in taking him to the Middle East.

 

Salah, 33, signed a new deal in April after months of uncertainty, committing himself to the club until the end of next season. However, staying beyond this January window is now in severe doubt after Slot dropped him for the matches against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds. He was an unused sub at Elland Road and appeared to wave goodbye to fans after full-time.

 

“[I couldn’t believe] that I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes!” Salah said. “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.

 

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise. 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.”

 

Salah has scored 250 goals during his career at Liverpool, having joined from AS Roma for an initial £36.5m in 2017. After winning two Premier League titles, he could now say goodbye to supporters on Saturday against Brighton and Hove Albion.

 

“This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday – you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew,” Salah said.

 

“Yesterday I said to them, 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.”

 

Salah reiterated that he felt he is not being treated correctly after his eight years at Anfield, adding: “I have been at this club, scoring more than anyone in this generation, since I came to the Premier League, I don’t think anyone has scored more goals and made more assists than me. In the whole Premier League.

 

“I remember a while go, Harry Kane was not scoring for 10 games, everyone in the media was like, ‘Oh, Harry will score for sure’, when it comes to Mo everyone is like, ‘he needs to be on the bench’. I am sorry Harry!”

 

Mohamed Salah’s explosive comments will send shockwaves through the footballing world. Here, Telegraph Sport analyses what could happen next.

 

 

 

 

The most likely destination for Salah is surely the Saudi Pro League. Saudi dealmakers have been trying to sign him for years and this now appears to be their best chance yet.

 

Just a few days ago, Telegraph Sport revealed that the Saudi Pro League is in position to fund a move for Salah. The potential fee on offer is likely to far exceed what any European club would be willing to pay for the 33-year-old.

 

In the summer of 2023, Liverpool rejected a £150m offer for Salah from Al-Ittihad. And then in April this year, Telegraph Sport reported that Salah was still considering a move to Saudi as he weighed up whether to extend his deal at Anfield.

 

Would any Premier League clubs be willing to sign Salah? Most of them would want a player of his ability, obviously, but the cost of his wages would almost certainly be prohibitive. His current contract is understood to be worth around £25m per season, including bonuses.

 

A move to a European giant cannot be ruled out but it feels unlikely for the same financial reasons. It would probably require Liverpool to allow him to depart for a minimal fee (or no fee at all) and for Salah to significantly reduce his salary.

 

Could the United States be an option? That, too, would likely require a pay cut. Data released by the MLS Players Association shows that Lionel Messi is the league’s best-paid player, on around £15m (this does not include Messi’s endorsements and other additional revenue streams).

 

 

 

 

Putting a price on Salah is not a simple task, but Liverpool would be justified in demanding a significant transfer fee. Salah may have had a poor season so far but it was not so long ago that he was the best player in the Premier League.

 

The contract he signed in April was a two-year deal, which means he still has 18 months remaining on it. That protects his value.

 

Another £150m offer from Saudi is surely unlikely to materialise, given Salah is now two years older than he was in 2023. He is also currently on a dreadful run of form, by his standards. He has not scored in his last six matches for club and country.

 

The counter-argument is that Liverpool would benefit financially from simply removing Salah from their wage bill. If he leaves for free, it would still save more than £30m in wages they are due to pay him over the course of his contract.

 

 

 

 

This could unfold in a number of ways, and much of it may depend on the reaction of the Liverpool fans. The Anfield crowd made clear how they felt about Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving the club for Real Madrid by booing him at the end of last season, and it seems entirely possible that Salah could now receive similar treatment.

 

Alexander-Arnold, after all, left the club in a strong position. Salah has made his comments with Liverpool in a crisis, in eighth place in the Premier League. Some sections of the fanbase will regard this as a senior player acting for himself rather than for the good of the collective. Such acts are not easily forgiven, even if they are committed by a club legend.

 

This is yet another test of Arne Slot’s man-management skills, too. How will the other players react? Can there be any way back? Slot may regard this as an unforgivable offence by Salah. Equally, there are plenty of examples in the past of players wanting to leave clubs but then staying. In the summer of 2013, Luis Suárez said he wanted to leave Liverpool – only to stay and then produce his best season in England.

 

As for Liverpool, the potential departure of Salah would probably leave them in need of an attacking replacement. Federico Chiesa is the only other right-winger in Slot’s squad.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/08 December 2025 - - -