Salah Unrest Raises Serious January Questions for Liverpool
The scenes at Elland Road felt like a significant shift in Liverpool’s modern story. Mohamed Salah, the player who has defined so much of the club’s recent era, stood in the mixed zone and effectively signalled the beginning of an ending. His words carried a weight that has rarely accompanied any Liverpool interview in a decade of high achievement. He said he felt “thrown under the bus” and made clear that if Arne Slot remains in charge, his Anfield future may be over.
Rising Tension After Leeds Thriller
The 3-3 draw at Leeds was chaotic enough, but the aftermath was seismic. Salah was again an unused substitute, his second in three games, and the Express reported that Liverpool are “open-minded” about selling him in January. What followed was a blunt public airing of frustration. “I don’t think I’m the problem. I have done so much for this club” he said, a line that already feels historic. People close to the situation told the BBC that the relationship between player and manager is “genuinely broken”.
Saudi Interest and Nunez Link
Interest from Al-Hilal adds an unavoidable narrative thread. The possibility of reuniting with Darwin Nunez, who left for Saudi Arabia last summer, gives the story a surreal edge. The Express noted that there have been no formal talks yet because Salah is preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, but the door is clearly open. The financial element remains uncertain, particularly with his £400,000 per week wages, but the club’s leverage has taken a hit following that explosive interview.
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Slot Under Immediate Pressure
Slot now enters a decisive phase. He won the Premier League title in his debut season, yet the managerial firmament at Liverpool is shaped as much by harmony as results. Salah stated that he plans to “be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans” before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, a sentence that feels painfully symbolic. With Inter Milan awaiting in the Champions League, there is real doubt over whether he travels.
Anfield’s Next Steps
Liverpool have faced big departures before, but few with this level of public rupture. If Salah leaves in January, it changes the trajectory of the season, recruitment planning and possibly even the manager’s authority. As the Express framed it, Liverpool are “open to all possibilities”. That alone tells its own story.
Our View, Anfield Index Analysis
For Liverpool supporters, this situation lands like a punch to the ribs. Even with months of whispers about tension behind the scenes, hearing Salah speak so openly feels unsettling. Fans have lived through stars leaving before, but this is different because of the tone. When he says he felt “thrown under the bus”, it suggests deeper fractures than ordinary football friction.
There is also fear about the timing. A January exit would rip a hole in a squad already searching for rhythm. The idea of him heading to the Africa Cup of Nations and not returning as a Liverpool player is almost unthinkable. Even those who believe in Slot’s long term approach will wonder what losing Salah mid season does to the club’s competitive edge. The Champions League knockout stages and a Premier League title defence do not wait for internal repairs.
There is also the broader worry about morale. If this can happen with Salah, the most reliable and professional figure of the post 2017 Liverpool era, what message does it send to the rest of the dressing room. Fans watched Nunez depart in the summer, now the idea of him linking up with Salah in Saudi Arabia feels like salt in the wound. Supporters understand that careers evolve and players leave, but this feels avoidable, unnecessary, and dangerously destabilising.