VIRGIL VAN DIJK DENIES RIFT: MO SALAH'S RANT IS "BLOWN UP" BY MEDIA; I WANT HIM TO STAY
Virgil van Dijk claimed Mohamed Salah's "thrown under the bus" comments haven't affected the team, stating the internal atmosphere and training remain "normal."
Virgil van Dijk claims Mohamed Salah's recent outburst hasn't messed with the Liverpool team's vibe. He said training felt normal.
After Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds, where Salah sat on the bench, he said he felt thrown under the bus by the club, blamed for their bad season, and hinted he might leave in January.
This rant got him in trouble. He didn't travel with the team to Milan for their Champions League game against Inter, which they won 1-0 thanks to a late penalty by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Van Dijk told Sky Sports that even after Salah's comments, things were fine within the team.
It wasn't that hard to deal with. "It's just how he felt after the game," Van Dijk said. When we came in on Sunday, the team felt the same as always.
We know what's up, but the media is blowing it up. We just need to deal with the fact that we had a big game and another one coming up this weekend. We'll see what happens.
When asked if he'd spoken to Salah and what they talked about, Van Dijk said, Of course I spoke to him. But that's private.
Salah's time at Liverpool seems uncertain, but Van Dijk wants him to stay: I've been with Mo for a long time. He's helped me a lot here, and I've helped him. We've done it together.
Salah mentioned issues with the club, feeling benched without reason, and a strained relationship with the manager, suggesting someone at the club doesn't want him there. He also spoke about his contract, saying he thought he'd retire at Liverpool, but now things are uncertain.
He's leaving for the African Cup of Nations soon. I hope he does great. "I don't know what will happen next," Van Dijk added.
I hope he comes back to Liverpool, but it's up to the club and Mo. We're friends no matter what, and we've been through a lot together. We'll see what happens.
Arne Slot's team was short some players in Milan, including Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa.
When asked if Salah had let the team down, Van Dijk responded, I won't say if someone let someone down. He didn't travel because of what he said after the game. He trained normally yesterday. We'll see what happens on Friday when we train again. I'm focused on the team. Mo is still part of the team for now, so we'll see.
Andy Robertson, who has played with Salah for years, hopes he doesn't leave on bad terms.
It's tough. "We're talking about one of the best players ever to play here," Robertson said. I joined at the same time as him. Whatever happened, we're all in this together.
About Salah's future, he said, That's not up to me. I love playing with Mo, and I hope we keep playing together.
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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