JAMIE REDKNAPP PREDICTS JANUARY MOHAMED SALAH EXIT FROM ANFIELD
Arne Slot defends his decision to bench Mohamed Salah, who remains professional. But the star's performance dip fuels speculation about his long-term future.
Liverpool might lose Mohamed Salah in January because his relationship with the club is at a breaking point, according to Jamie Redknapp.
Redknapp, a former Anfield player, made this prediction after Salah was left out of Arne Slot's starting lineup for the second game in a row against Sunderland. Salah entered as a substitute in the second half but couldn't stop the Reds from drawing 1-1 with Sunderland.
Redknapp said he'd be amazed if Salah finishes his Liverpool contract, which ends in 2027, and suggested he might leave in January.
Last season, Salah was key in Liverpool's title win, scoring 29 goals and making 18 assists in 38 league games. This season, though, his performance seems to have dropped, like many of his teammates, putting more pressure on Slot during a bad run of results.
Redknapp told Sky Sports he is worried that Salah and Liverpool are close to a bitter split.
"He's a Premier League legend, a Liverpool icon, so I don't think this will end well," he said. It'll be a tough situation now, because the manager has someone so talented, so important to the team, in the changing room and in how they act and play in practice.
He doesn't want to sit on the bench; he didn't sign this contract to end his career. He wants to play regularly, every week.
I'd be shocked if he finishes the last two years, or a year and a half, of his contract. I don't think this helps at all. Nothing in football would surprise me, whether it's in January or in the summer.
If the right club comes along... a lot will depend on him. He's earned that. If he says, 'I'm not going to start for you, and I'm not going to stick around. I'll go wherever.' I still think he'll want to play in Europe.
The first thing everyone will say is that he'll go to Saudi Arabia—he's a legend there—or to the US, but this is a breaking point in the relationship.
He'll feel let down and maybe blamed for what's happening. The team is winning without him, and those stats are pretty good when he doesn't play.
No one is vital, time passes, and it's going to be hard now.
Slot said earlier that Salah was unhappy about being benched and shared his reaction.
Before the match, he said, "We didn't talk much, not this time and not before West Ham." We talked a lot after the Frankfurt game, but not as much now.
He's reacting like a top player should. He trained hard and well the day after the West Ham game and again yesterday. He's positive with his teammates.
He's an example when he plays and when he doesn't.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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