Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season on a free transfer, according to multiple reports. The 32-year-old forward announced his departure in March 2025. Salah's relationship with manager Arne Slot has been strained.
According to major media, the pair had a public falling out in December 2024, with Salah claiming Slot 'threw me under the bus' and saying 'there is no relationship' between them. However, reports indicate they have since repaired their relationship. Salah is currently out with a hamstring injury and will miss the match against Manchester United, though Slot expects him to return before the end of the season.
I've really enjoyed watching them in the Champions League because I think they look like a completely different team when they've gone into the big Champions League games.
Liverpool have had a mixed season. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City in the quarter-finals, where Salah had a penalty saved. They have reached the Champions League quarter-finals and sit fourth in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard described Liverpool's performance against Manchester City as 'worrying and concerning', while Dominik Szoboszlai criticised the team's lack of fighting spirit after the defeat. Gerrard also said Liverpool have been 'two-faced' this season, were 'bullied' by Newcastle in the League Cup final, and that their issues are 'all over the pitch'. Criticism of Salah's decline has been prominent.
It looks as if they've got a lot of issues to fix. I've covered some of the games as well for TNT (Sports), and after the game, it's been difficult to sort of put your finger on one issue that they've got because they've got quite a few, and it's all over the pitch.
Graeme Souness believes Salah's best is behind him and he should leave Liverpool. Wayne Rooney said Salah's 'legs have gone' and Virgil van Dijk hasn't been the same this season. In response, Salah said he feels fine physically and hasn't become old overnight.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp previously said Salah is difficult to manage when not playing. Steven Gerrard has commented on potential replacements. Gerrard named Michael Olise as a potential replacement for Salah, but noted he would be hard to sign as he is under contract at Bayern Munich until 2029 with no release clause.
What happens, in my opinion and in my experience, is your career happens one of two ways. When you get to that sort of 33-34 age area, it's either falling off a cliff, or it's a slow decline. I think Salah is the former.
Gerrard also said Liverpool missing out on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo 'hurts', and described the sale of Xabi Alonso as 'heartbreaking' and a 'step back'. Gerrard believes Arne Slot deserves time to turn things around, dreams of managing Liverpool one day, and would be open to returning as an assistant manager. He also spoke directly with Salah about his Liverpool future in December.
Other departures and transfer speculation: Andy Robertson will also leave Liverpool at the end of the season. Rangers consultant Stig Inge Bjornebye said Rangers have discussed Salah's future. Liverpool signed Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz last summer.
His best is behind him now, there's no doubt about that. The first person to know that is yourself, and it happens to everyone. I don't see the same sparkle.
Dominik Szoboszlai revealed he had talks with Salah before his departure announcement, while Caoimhin Kelleher hopes to deny Salah a perfect farewell on the last day of the season. Roy Keane criticised the timing of Salah's exit announcement, warning it could turn nasty, while John Barnes believes it is the right time for Salah to leave.
I'm not sure it's ideal, the timing. I don't know why he doesn't wait until the end of the season.
I think it probably is the right time, mainly because of the way the season's gone and what he's been able to give.
I don't regret many things I did during a little longer than one-and-a-half years together. Again, the assumption that if he's not playing that he wants to leave - that's the assumption being made - then he would have left one-and-a-half years ago.
The concern if you're trying to Salah, like-for-like, there's very few out there. Olise would be one but I don't think he'd be available.
They should be playing for Liverpool, so that hurts even more. We were linked with two of those players and that would have made a big difference to Liverpool.
That was heartbreaking as well. And also the [Fernando] Torres one as well. Because you think to yourself we've put so much in to try to close, it felt like we were getting closer and then you take one of those big signings out.
I've said this since the start of the season, age gets to us all and your legs go. I think that's happened to Salah this season and Virgil van Dijk hasn't been the same this season.
I don't know what Mo's plans are - we discussed it at work today as well, as I'm an advisor to Rangers. We discussed where he'll go and so on.