Mohamed Salah has been dropped to the bench for Liverpool's last two games and Jamie Redknapp has suggested the Egyptian forward could leave the club in a matter of months
Mohamed Salah has two years left on his contract
Mohamed Salah has two years left on his contract(Image: PA)
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Former Liverpool favourite Jamie Redknapp has admitted he would be "amazed" if Mohamed Salah completes the remainder of his Anfield contract, claiming the Egyptian's relationship with the club has hit "breaking point." The Sky Sports star even suggested that Salah could leave in January.
Redknapp admitted that he fears Salah and Liverpool could be set for a bitter split after he was benched for the second successive match against Sunderland. Back in April, Salah penned fresh terms with Liverpool, committing his future to Merseyside until 2027.
The new agreement came off the back of one of Salah's finest seasons at the club. He was instrumental in Liverpool's Premier League triumph last term, netting 29 goals and providing 18 assists across 38 league outings. Yet the Egyptian's performances seem to have nosedived this campaign.
It's not just the 33-year-old who has faltered. Much of Arne Slot's squad has struggled to find their rhythm, heaping pressure on the Dutchman following a disappointing sequence of results.
But with Salah having been a dependable figure for Liverpool supporters over so many years, his decline in form has resulted in him being omitted from Slot's last two matches, including Wednesday's encounter with Sunderland. Redknapp reckons their relationship has reached a critical juncture and fears Salah and Liverpool could be heading for an ugly parting of ways.
"He's a Premier League great, a Liverpool great and that's why I don't think this is going to end well," he commented on Sky Sports. "It will be a difficult situation now because the manager, when you've got someone who is so good, so important to the team, in and around the dressing room and how they react and act in training.
"He's not going to want to be on the bench, he hasn't signed this contract to see his career out. He wants to play week in, week out.
"I'll be amazed if he sees out the last two years of his contract, or year and a half. I don't think this helps the situation one bit. Nothing will surprise me in football - whether it's in January or maybe in the summer.
"If the right club was to come around... a lot will be decided by this man. He's earned that right. And if he says: 'Look, if I'm not going to be a starter for you, I'm not one of those players who is going to hang around. I will go wherever it takes.' I still feel he will want to play in Europe.
Premier League pundit Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp believes Salah could leave as early as January
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"The first thing we're all going to say is he'll go to Saudi - he's obviously a legend in that part of the world - or he'll want to go to the US, but this for me now is a real breaking point in the relationship.
"He'll feel let down and, like you say, maybe even blamed for what's going on. But while the team is winning without him... I saw those stats and they're pretty good when he doesn't play.
"No one is indispensable, time waits for no one, and it's going to be difficult now."
Liverpool's 2-0 triumph over West Ham hinted at a team resurgence. Alexander Isak netted his first Premier League goal for the Reds, while Florian Wirtz put on a stellar show.
Earlier this week, Slot confessed that Salah was displeased about being sidelined for the West Ham match and disclosed his response to Wednesday's decision.
Prior to the game, he stated: "We didn't have a long conversation, this time and also not the one before West Ham. We spoke a lot after the Frankfurt game and now not as much as that time.
"I think he reacts like you want a top professional to react and that is he trained really hard and good the day after the game at West Ham and trained good yesterday, he's really positive towards his team-mates.
"In that sense, he's an example, he's been an example to all those players when he plays and now he's an example when he doesn't play."
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