Arne Slot may be edging Mohamed Salah out of the Liverpool squad, as his ‘ego’ is currently seen as ‘poison for the team.’
That’s according to SportBILD. They again put their focus on the Liverpool star today after he was left out against West Ham United.
They report that there has been a growing tension in the Liverpool dressing room following their summer business. Big signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have caused an ‘upheaval’ in the structure of the squad.
Previously Salah and Virgil van Dijk were at the top of the tree, earning around €20m per year. This status was accepted by the rest because ‘they guaranteed success’. But Wirtz and Isak immediately entered the highest salary bracket. And this ‘caused a stir’.
The pair have been closely watched by the established stars and other summer signings have been given the same scrutiny. This situation has hindered team cohesion and team spirit. In fact, SportBILD say some players have confided that they are not a team. There are the established players on one side and the newcomers on the other.
Liverpool star again target of German criticism
Salah has been caught in the middle. He’s the undisputed star man but has not been in good form for a while. Yet, that never put his status under Slot at risk, until the West Ham game.
Slot changed his team for that clash and was rewarded. Wirtz initiated the first goal and Isak finished it off. Salah sat on the bench for 90 minutes. The feeling is that his ‘status is crumbling’.
He was already on shaky ground after the loss to PSV Eindhoven, where his failure to make a defensive run led to a goal for the Dutch side. That was seen as clear evidence that ‘Salah’s ego is poison for the team’.
Now Slot has dropped him completely, and the feeling is that he’s being edged out at Anfield in favour of the new guys.
Of course, it’s worth remembering SportBILD have been on a prolonged PR campaign for Florian Wirtz, with Mohamed Salah very much their target for blame.