ANALYSIS: LIVERPOOL 'OPEN TO OPTIONS' FOR UNHAPPY MO SALAH FOLLOWING PUBLIC CRITICISM OF SLOT
After an explosive interview, Salah admits he doesn't know what comes next, hinting at an Anfield farewell before AFCON amid Al-Hilal transfer speculation.
After Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds United, reports say Liverpool might sell Mohamed Salah, and he could team up with Darwin Nunez again at Al-Hilal. This comes after Salah's outspoken interview at Elland Road. He was an unused substitute in two of Liverpool's last three games.
Salah stirred things up by hinting he'll leave in January if Arne Slot stays as manager. The 33-year-old feels thrown under the bus by Slot and the club, saying their relationship is broken.
BBC Sport says people close to the situation think Salah was serious and the relationship is really damaged. They add that Salah doesn't see a future at Anfield with Slot still in charge.
Liverpool is reportedly open to all options as January approaches. Simone Inzaghi's Al-Hilal is one club from the Saudi Pro League that is interested, but there haven't been any real talks yet since Salah has the African Cup of Nations with Egypt coming up. He's off to the tournament after Saturday's game against Brighton at Anfield.
Al-Hilal, the Saudi league leaders, already signed Nunez from Liverpool this summer for £46 million, which could rise to £66 million. It's not clear how much Liverpool would want for Salah, who earns £400,000 a week, but his interview might have weakened their position.
Salah said, "I will always support this club." My kids will always support it. I love the club so much. The situation is not acceptable to me. I don't get it.
I don't think I'm the problem. I have done so much for this club. I told my family to come to the Brighton game. I don't know if I am going to play or not, but I am going to enjoy it. 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 to the Africa Cup of Nations. I don't know what is going to happen when I am there.
When asked about a possible Saudi transfer in the winter, Salah replied, "I don't want to answer this question, because the club is going to take me in a different direction."
I cannot say it is impossible to fix the situation, but I have done so much for the club. I love the fans and the club so much, but I don't know what is going to happen next.
Slot will likely face questions about this at his press conference on Monday. Liverpool plays Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday, and it's uncertain if Salah will even travel with the team to Italy for a game they really need to win.
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.”