Mohamed Salah has been accused of ignoring Florian Wirtz by a German newspaper as part of a stinging attack on the Liverpool forward. He has endured a tough start to the campaign by his own high standards, with the 33-year-old yet to replicate the scintillating form he showed last season. So far, he has only managed four goals and two assists in 11 league appearances.
Salah is not the only Liverpool player to have struggled, though, with Wirtz among those in the same boat. He did not register a goal involvement in the Premier League until late October following his arrival in the summer window. Expectations were high when he was signed from Bayer Leverkusen but as of yet, he has failed to deliver the goods.
German newspaper Bild have brazenly suggested that Salah is to blame for Wirtz's shortcomings because he has failed to provide any assists for him.
They accused Salah of ignoring his new team-mate in an extraordinary attack on the Egyptian forward, saying: "It’s noticeable that he’s overlooked Wirtz and hasn’t made any of the other summer signings, who together cost around half a billion euros, shine.
"Salah has provided three assists this season, all of which led to goals, all for players who have been with the club longer. Salah is increasingly becoming a major problem for Liverpool and Wirtz."
The article went on to suggest that Salah's 'stubbornness' has 'long been a topic of conversation' in the Liverpool dressing room.
It added: "He is the king of the champions, seemingly blocking their successful new beginning.
"And thus, the future of his successor as the attacking leader: €140m signing Wirtz. According to SPORT BILD, there’s no doubt that he’s intended to be the leader of the future."
Salah was also said to 'represent the past' at Liverpool, with the article further stating: "The question is, who will dethrone Salah? The club, the coach, or his teammates? It seems quite possible that Salah will move to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2026."
In spite of his muted start to the campaign, Salah remains a hugely important player for the Reds and will be hoping to pick up his form over the coming weeks.
Arne Slot has already made it clear that he is not concerned about the winger's recent displays, saying last month: "The main thing is that he always has scored goals for Liverpool.
"The last thing I worry about is Mo scoring goals again. He's done that his entire life and I expect him to do that again in the upcoming weeks and months."