The interview that changed everything
There's a particular kind of silence that follows when a player burns bridges in public. Mohamed Salah created that silence last Saturday, standing in front of Sky Sports cameras after Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds, and methodically dismantling any pretense that his relationship with Arne Slot was salvageable.
Three consecutive benches. Three games watching from the sideline while Liverpool's title defense crumbled around him. And then, the words that you can't take back—the kind that get you left off the plane to Milan.
Slot's response was almost admirably detached. Asked if Salah had played his final game for Liverpool, the Dutchman shrugged: "I have no idea." The kind of answer that tells you everything about where this relationship stands.
The Saudi money and the English dream
Here's where it gets interesting. Every transfer saga involving a player over 30 eventually leads to the Gulf. Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr—the usual suspects are already circling. Reports suggest the Public Investment Fund is prepared to do "whatever it takes" to land Salah in January, with figures north of £150 million being thrown around.
But according to Sky Sports, Salah hasn't closed the door on something far more provocative: joining another Premier League club.
Let that sink in. Mohamed Salah—Liverpool's record goalscorer in a single season, the man who ended the 30-year title drought, the Egyptian King—potentially pulling on a rival's shirt. Not heading to retirement in Riyadh, but staying in England to prove a point.
The reasoning is straightforward, even if the implications are explosive. Salah believes he still has plenty to offer at the highest level. He wants to compete in the best league in the world. He'd rather face Manchester City, Arsenal, and yes, Liverpool, than collect paychecks in a competition that still lacks the credibility to match its ambition.
The uncomfortable truth about age and legacy
There's a cruel irony in how this has unfolded. Salah signed a two-year extension worth £400,000 per week in April—a deal that was supposed to cement his legacy as a one-club man in his Liverpool years. Eight months later, he's been benched three times in a row, publicly humiliated by a manager who seems to view him as yesterday's solution.
The numbers don't help his case. Five goals in 19 appearances this season. A far cry from the 29 goals and 18 assists that carried Liverpool to the title last year. The brilliance is still there in flashes, but consistency has become elusive, and Slot has clearly decided that Florian Wirtz and the other summer arrivals represent the future.
German outlet BILD suggests that Wirtz's status as Liverpool's golden boy is precisely what pushed Salah over the edge. The animosity isn't just about playing time—it's about respect, about acknowledgment, about being treated as a legend rather than an aging asset to be managed off the books.
What happens next
Liverpool face Brighton on Saturday. Whether Salah is in the squad remains uncertain. Whether he's in Liverpool's plans beyond January seems increasingly doubtful.
The club is already moving on. Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth has a £65 million release clause and represents everything Liverpool want in a Salah replacement: younger, hungry, Premier League-proven. Manchester City and Manchester United are also circling the Ghanaian winger, which tells you something about how the market views Liverpool's situation.
For Salah, the question is simpler and more painful: does he accept the Saudi millions and the implicit admission that his European career is over? Or does he find a club willing to bet on his pride, his quality, and his burning desire to prove Slot wrong?
The door to another Premier League club remains open. The question is whether anyone has the nerve to walk through it.
