And so the long goodbye begins for the “Egyptian King” — undoubtedly one of the Premier League’s greatest players.
Mohamed Salah has worn the Liverpool shirt 435 times across all competitions and may play up to 15 more times before the season ends. Regardless of any silverware this term — Liverpool remain in contention for the Champions League and FA Cup — the 31-year-old (note: age in original was 33; keep original if required) will leave having won six major trophies since arriving from AS Roma in 2017.
His individual record is remarkable: a record four Premier League Golden Boots, three PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards, and since signing for Liverpool he has the most Premier League goals (189) and assists (92). For the club he has scored 255 times, leaving only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt ahead in Liverpool’s all-time list. Teammate Milos Kerkez jokingly posted a picture of Salah’s overflowing trophy cabinet, while moments like his goal celebrations — kneeling in sujood — are indelible.
But the exit was not supposed to unfold this way. Less than a year ago Salah renewed his contract to 2027 after a season that saw him top Premier League goals and assists charts. By December, however, he was benched and then omitted from squads after a tense mixed-zone interview at Leeds, where he said his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down and suggested someone at the club wanted him out.
Those close to Salah say he had planned to speak at Elland Road regardless of the result. The rift began earlier when he was rested for a Champions League trip to Eintracht Frankfurt in October — a 5-1 win — a decision that left him believing he should be an automatic starter given his contributions. That perception was reinforced by Liverpool’s heavy summer spending of around £450m on attackers including Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, signaling a new attacking strategy and that Salah would no longer be the undisputed focal point.
In the lead-up to the Leeds interview he was upset after meetings with the club hierarchy, including sporting director Richard Hughes, where the possibility of being benched was outlined. As a sanction for his comments he was left out of the Inter Milan trip; three days later he came off the bench against Brighton and provided an assist, with Slot insisting there was “no issue to resolve.”
Salah then went to the Africa Cup of Nations while the club negotiated with his agent Ramy Abbas. On his return in January those close to the situation believed a verbal agreement was in place for a summer departure. BBC Sport reported last month that a summer exit was increasingly likely.
Salah has described recent posts as the “first part of my farewell” and asked the club to announce matters promptly out of respect for supporters. His agent said: “We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no-one else knows.” Salah and his family are settled in the northwest and cherish life in Britain, making the decision to leave especially hard.
He is assured of a warm send-off from Anfield; social media tributes already underline his standing. Going back to his first Liverpool interview in June 2017, Salah pledged: “I will give 100% and give everything for the club. I am happy to be here and I really want to win something for this club.” He has delivered on that promise and much more.
