The shock announcement that Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool is the big news this week. But the real question is, what now?
The Egyptian forward, who goes down as one of Liverpool’s all-time great players, will leave at the end of this season after nine brilliant years at the club.
It will be a great summer for the players and the club. How will Liverpool move forward? What is Liverpool doing now? And will that affect Underfire head coach Arne Slott?
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Let’s take a look at some of Mohamed Salah’s outrageous statistics from his time at Liverpool that you may not be aware of.
Sky Sports’ transfer desk answers all the important questions about Salah, Liverpool and what’s going on…
Who made the decision for Salah to leave?
Sky Sports News understands this was a joint decision between Liverpool, Salah and the player’s agent. This feels like a situation that applies to everyone.
For now, both sides are very clear about the upcoming summer. Salah knows he wants a new club. Liverpool know they are in the market to find a new attacking forward.
The funds that Liverpool had set aside for next season’s wages will now be available for the signing of new players.
And while there is a potential transfer fee Liverpool could earn by selling Salah, the player knows that money will be paid to him as part of the package. This suits Salah as it increases his ability to plan deals that are suitable for him in the future.
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Jamie O’Hara has freely expressed his opinion on Mohamed Salah’s decision to leave Liverpool. Where will Salah leave the club and will he join Jamie’s All-Time Premier League XI?
The immediate announcement also gives Liverpool, the club and the fans the opportunity between now and the end of the season to show their appreciation and send him off as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players.
On top of that, Liverpool could end this season with two trophies. If they continue to win, there is a good chance that Salah will contribute to either side’s victory.
We all know that between now and the end of the season, it will be Mo Salah’s farewell tour.
Do Liverpool regret giving Salah a new contract?
No, obviously Salah has not been the most effective this season and his influence on the team was not at the level of the previous year.
Liverpool signed Salah to a two-year contract in the summer of 2025 on very favorable terms. Salah has become Liverpool’s most expensive player in history, which is understandable thanks to his performances last season.
Many people today would say it was a bad decision to sign Salah to a new contract. But if you spoke to a group of football fans last summer and said, “What should Liverpool do with Mo Salah?” After the season he had, 99.9 percent of them would say “They should keep him.”
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Mohamed Salah has shared a touching farewell message to Liverpool fans via his social media accounts following the news that the Egyptian forward will leave Anfield at the end of the season. Instagram credit: @mosalah.
In hindsight, Liverpool were actually in a lose-lose situation. If they hadn’t signed him to a new contract, people would have said: Why let this player go?
And if Liverpool signed him and he didn’t have an effective season – which it seems like now – people would say, why did they sign him?
Liverpool did what they believed was the right thing to do.
Will Salah’s decision to leave have any impact on Arne Slott’s future?
Slott’s future has nothing to do with Salah’s situation.
Liverpool have signed Slott on a long-term deal and are now focused on finishing the season with two more trophies.
If Liverpool win the FA Cup and Champions League, you would imagine Slott isn’t going anywhere.
At the moment, Liverpool are not thinking about what will happen in the summer.
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Liverpool head coach Arne Slott blamed injury problems, the build-up of fixtures and the club’s transfer policy for the loss to Brighton.
What do we know about Salah’s next move?
Salah’s agent Rami Abbas clarified: “No one else can know for sure because they don’t know what will happen.” But there are many options.
Everyone will immediately point to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Pro League, which has four teams affiliated with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has previously attempted to sign Salah.
Some of those PIF teams already have big-time superstars. Some people don’t. But topping the list will undoubtedly be the four Saudi PIF-owned franchises.
You can see that he fits in better at al-Ittihad than anywhere else. They’re having a bad season, but they’re reigning champions.
They lost star player Karim Benzema, who moved to Al Hilal in January. They need a star player and have tried to sign Salah in the past. In 2023 they made a verbal offer of £150 million, which was rejected. You’ll think they’re your favorite.
Cristiano Ronaldo has complained about Al Nasr’s lack of activity in the transfer market. But does he want another superstar alongside him there? Al Hilal and Al Ahly are the other two PIF-led clubs in Saudi Arabia.
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Highlights of the match between Al Nasr and Al Hazem in the Saudi Pro League.
But Major League Soccer in the United States is Salah’s other big opportunity. Antoine Griezmann is set to move to the United States this summer, but some clubs are keen to sign a player of Salah’s caliber due to Lionel Messi’s influence in America.
Therefore, the Saudi club will be at the top of the list and everyone will expect him to go there. But Saudi offers never go away, so he may want to explore other opportunities and visit Saudi Arabia later in his career.
Is Europe an option for Salah?
Many clubs in La Liga will be keeping an eye on Salah, as well as many in Serie A.
Paris Saint-Germain, whom Liverpool will face in the Champions League quarter-finals, are a possibility, but signing a big star would be a departure from what has brought them success over the past 12 months.
They were buying the best players possible. Now they have realized that young players, who are actually local to Paris, bring better team spirit than individuals or superstars.
There will be a series of discussions between big clubs across Europe about whether they can afford Salah and whether he is right for their club.
Whether Europe is an option is up to Salah. If he wants to play for PSG and is happy to do so for £200,000 a week, then so be it. If he wants £1 million a week, that will limit his options. It’s about what’s right for him and his family.
However, it is worth remembering that Salah was a free transfer last summer. Until April last season, everyone knew he was available for free – and he chose to stay at Liverpool.
If he had that much money, he definitely should have had it, so why didn’t he take it? Money is not his only motive.
What do we know about Liverpool’s Salah succession plan?
Liverpool’s succession plans are unclear at this stage.
They are not considering acquiring a comparable successor. They look at the players that fit the system and it depends on the system and whose system they decide to play.
It is thought that they will consider players who can complement Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. It’s not just left-footed players on the right side who are active like Salah.
Liverpool will try to find a solution, but it could look like a completely different type of player. But if that player fits into the next version of Liverpool, then that will be what they aim for.
