FIFA CONFIRMS: MO SALAH MUST LEAVE LIVERPOOL ON DECEMBER 8 FOR AFCON
Liverpool hopes to keep Mohamed Salah until mid-December, but a FIFA ruling could see him leave earlier for AFCON, missing crucial games against Inter Milan and Brighton.
Liverpool is waiting to hear when it needs to let Mohamed Salah join the Egypt national team for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament starts on December 21, and Egypt plays its first match the next day. Liverpool will have to release Salah before that date so he can attend a pre-tournament training camp.
Egypt is also participating in the Arab Cup before AFCON, with their first game on December 2. But Liverpool isn't required to release Salah for this competition.
Egypt is sending a 'B' squad to the Arab Cup, mainly with players based in Egypt, so the main squad can focus on AFCON.
The main squad has a friendly match against Nigeria on December 7, and Egypt's coach wants Salah to play. Liverpool hopes to keep Salah until after their Premier League match against Brighton on December 13.
FIFA is likely to ask clubs to release their players two weeks before the tournament starts, which would be December 7. If this happens, Salah would miss the Inter Milan game on December 9, as well as the Brighton match.
Salah will for sure be absent from Liverpool's games against Tottenham, Wolves, and Leeds during the holiday season. When he returns after that depends on how far Egypt gets in the tournament.
Liverpool might not miss Salah as much as they would have last year when he was playing his best. So far, Salah's 2025-26 season has been tough. He's only scored four goals for Liverpool outside the penalty box.
Even though Salah is having a hard time, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard dismissed the idea of dropping Salah after their big loss to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
Gerrard told TNT Sports: What else can you do [if Salah is dropped]? Chiesa makes more of an impact as a substitute, and I think it sends the wrong message to the team.
Liverpool is struggling right now. Salah is a senior player, the vice-captain, and has been the key man. He's a big deal here.
That doesn't mean he has to start every game. You can rest him or sub him out, but any manager at Liverpool would start Mo Salah. Liverpool needs its best players on the field.
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
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