Is There Any Way Back For Mohamed Salah At Liverpool?

Arne Slot held talks with Mohamed Salah over his future at Liverpool today. We know this because the Reds manager told reporters that a discussion would take place ahead of this weekend’s Premier League match against Brighton after Salah made bombshell comments to the media less than a week ago.

Salah hasn’t looked his usual self all season, but nobody could have predicted that he would so publicly torch his relationship with Slot, revealing that any understanding with the Liverpool head coach had broken down after the 3-3 draw away to Leeds United. The Egyptian was subsequently omitted for the mid-week game against Inter Milan.

Slot said he has “no reasons for not wanting him to stay,” but the nature of Salah’s comments have called into question his future on Merseyside. Recent reports claim there is interest in the Egyptian from the Saudi Pro League and a departure in the January transfer window has been discussed by fans and experts.

After Saturday’s game against Brighton, in which Salah might not feature, the 33-year-old will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations. There is only a small window for the current situation to be resolved before Salah is on international duty with Egypt when his mind will be on other matters.

If there is any way back for Salah as a Liverpool player, something has to give in the coming days. It’s difficult to envisage how he can possibly continue at Anfield, under Slot’s stewardship, without something of a public climbdown. He must acknowledge the hurt he caused with his emotional comments.

Liverpool’s transition into a post-Salah age started during the summer transfer window. The Premier League champions spent $250m on the addition of Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to revamp their forward line. The trio’s integration so far has been difficult with Liverpool slumped down in 10th in the table.

Slot’s set-up for the game against Inter Milan in the Champions League was a hint of how Liverpool could play in the seasons to come. Ekitike and Isak were deployed as a front two with Wirtz brought on to play as a roaming number nine in behind them. The midfield diamond also provided some much-needed security in the centre of the pitch.

By the time Salah returns from AFCON, Liverpool might have transitioned into a completely different system and approach. This is where the Egyptian’s comments could backfire and accelerate his exit. For a long time, Liverpool needed Salah. Now, that isn’t so clear. Now might be the right time for a parting of ways.