Less than a year ago, Mohamed Salah had cemented his status at Anfield, extending his contract until the summer of 2027. His previous deal was set to expire in 2025, but his exceptional performance last season, where he led the Premier League in both goals and assists, left Liverpool’s management with no option but to secure his future with a new agreement.
However, by December, circumstances had dramatically shifted. Salah found himself benched, and later completely excluded from the squad, following an outspoken interview at Leeds. In this interview, he openly stated a breakdown in his relationship with manager Slot and suggested that certain figures within the club desired his departure.
Sources close to Salah indicate that his decision to speak out at Elland Road was premeditated, irrespective of the match outcome. His initial dissatisfaction reportedly began in October, when he was benched for a Champions League away fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt, a match Liverpool ultimately won 5-1.
Manager Slot acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to bench Salah, but it clearly unsettled the Egyptian star. Salah firmly believed he deserved to start every Premier League and Champions League match, given his immense contributions to the club over the years.
This incident marked the first indication that Salah’s position as an undisputed starter was no longer guaranteed. Coupled with Liverpool’s substantial summer investment of £450 million on new attacking talent, including Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike, the club’s evolving offensive strategy became apparent. Salah recognized that he would no longer be the primary focal point of the attack.
In the weeks preceding his impactful interview, Salah expressed significant upset after discussions with the Liverpool hierarchy, including sporting director Richard Hughes, where it was made clear that future benching was a possibility.
As a consequence of his interview, Salah was omitted from the squad for the trip to Inter Milan. Nevertheless, just three days later, he made an immediate impact by coming off the bench against Brighton and providing an assist. Post-match, Slot publicly declared that there was “no issue to resolve.”
Following these events, Salah departed for the Africa Cup of Nations. During this period, the club engaged in talks with his agent, Ramy Abbas. By the time Salah returned to England in January, those familiar with the situation felt that a verbal understanding had been reached for both the player and the club to mutually part ways that summer.
