"If he has had his head turned, it’s better off him going" - Pundit believes Liverpool should look to sell Mo Salah in the summer
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness reckons his former side would benefit from selling Mohamed Salah in the summer if he was interested in joining the Saudi Pro League.
Salah has been in poor form in recent weeks, netting just one goal in his last six Premier League appearances. It was a penalty in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United.
The 31-year-old was also benched for the second time in three games by Jurgen Klopp on Saturday, April 27. Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw against West Ham United at the London Stadium. Salah was visibly irate when he was brought on as a late substitute in the 79th minute. He reacted angrily to Klopp's instructions on the touchline just a few minutes later.
Souness believes Salah could prove to be an issue for Feyenoord boss Arne Slot. The Dutchman has been reported to be the man to replace Klopp as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
"He [Slot] is also coming into a situation that I had thought was extremely healthy, and I said so when Klopp announced he was leaving. But, of late, Liverpool have shown a vulnerability and weakness I did not think existed. The season has gone flat and the title has gone now. I did not see this coming," Souness wrote in his column for MailOnline (via METRO)
He added:
"They have gone from the team I believed were going to win it, who did not have to play well to win because they had so much firepower, to a team struggling to score a goal. Slot will also inherit, if it is not sorted sooner, the issue of Mo Salah. He has dropped way below the levels we know of him and has lost his focus, for whatever reason, in the second half of the season."
He continued:
"Do Liverpool sell him this summer? I would not be surprised if there was an agreement last summer for him to stay another year and then go off to Saudi Arabia. If he has had his head turned, it’s better off him going, and I’m sure a new manager would agree. Slot will have enough on his plate without a transfer saga over Salah."
Al-Ittihad were interested in signing Salah last summer, even reportedly offering the Reds £150 million - only to see their offer rejected. With just one season remaining on his contract, it will be interesting to see if the Egyptian King remains at Anfield for the 2024-25 season.
How did Mohamed Salah perform in Liverpool's 2-2 draw against West Ham?
Liverpool's dismal form continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw against West Ham United at the London Stadium earlier today (Saturday, April 27).
Salah was subbed on in the 79th minute, replacing Luis Diaz, along with Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez as the Reds searched for a late winner. The 31-year-old wasn't able to offer anything in attack, making just 12 touches in total. His most notable impact was being involved in a touchline bust-up with Jurgen Klopp.
Despite his drop in form in recent weeks, Salah has still had a good season to date. He has registered 24 goals and 13 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. He will next be in action for the Reds against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday, May 5.