Arne Slot has been told why it could be Mohamed Salah’s final season with Liverpool, with the Reds head coach given a warning about life without the Egyptian in the squad. Salah’s future at Anfield has been the subject of intense speculation for the last 18 months, particularly before the forward signed an extension last season.
Salah put pen to paper on a two-year extension which runs until the end of the 2026/27 season, meaning he has entered the final 18 months of his deal.
The 33-year-old has struggled this season to rediscover the same goalscoring form from previous campaigns, which has seen him etch his name into Liverpool folklore.
A total of six goals across all competitions, including just four in the Premier League, has led to speculation that an exit could be on the cards in the summer.
Salah was recently unavailable for more than a month for Liverpool while he featured for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, but has since returned to feature in the last four games for his club.
The January transfer window saw rumours that Salah could leave Liverpool to move to the Saudi Pro League, and even though deadline day has passed, there are still rumours that a departure from Anfield could happen at the end of the season.
Former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Joe Cole has explained why he thinks Salah will leave the Reds at the end of the campaign, and why he believes the forward creates a “problem” for head coach Slot.
“The first 30 minutes of the Newcastle game, Liverpool were taken apart, it could’ve been 2-0,” Cole said in an interview with Paddy Power.
“After that, they were sublime. I think the problem for Arne Slot is Mo Salah. Hugo Ekitike looks like he’s the type of player that would benefit from having a starring role, but when Mo plays, the ball goes to him all the time because he’s been so good.
“This will be the last three months at Liverpool for Mo Salah. I think he’ll leave at the end of the season and walk out with being an all-time great at the club.
“Going forward, Arne Slot is going to have to find somewhere to adjust the system of how his team play.”