Mohamed Salah has been having an excellent time of things away from Liverpool as he continues to light up the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
More than one month has now passed since the Egyptian explosively took aim at Arne Slot and the club who pay his enormous wages, and it is fair to say that both Salah and Liverpool have moved on impressively.
On Saturday, the 33-year-old icon led his country to a thrilling win over Ivory Coast in the AFCON quarter-final. A goal, which proved to be the winner, and an assist underlined his status as one of the most influential players of the tournament so far.
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Gut feeling, has Mohamed Salah played his last game for Liverpool? If yes, how do you feel about it?
421 appearances
250 goals
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Salah now has four goals in five matches and will rekindle an old Liverpool rivalry as he meets Sadio Mane’s Senegal in Wednesday’s semi-final.
But while he may think of his form for Egypt as further evidence that he was being unfairly treated at Liverpool, it is safe to say that the Reds themselves are unlikely to feel the same. Put simply, they have not missed Mo one bit.
Liverpool have not missed Mohamed Salah
In AFCON years gone by, the question of how Liverpool would manage without Salah – and Mane of course – felt like it dominated the whole tournament back on Merseyside.
Although they always managed, the countdown until the Egyptian King’s return was constantly ticking. Getting him back was the biggest of reliefs. This time, it has felt like the opposite.
Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring for Egypt during their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Ivory Coast at the Grand Stadium
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Liverpool have been far from perfect during the five matches they have played without Salah so far, but there has not been a single moment of any game where it has felt as though their No. 11 has been really and truly missed.
Perhaps it is a coincidence that Liverpool have stopped losing since Slot first dropped Salah away at West Ham on November 30th. But then again, perhaps it is not.
The Reds conceded 10 goals and scored only once in the last three games Salah started for them, all of them defeats. In the nine they have played without him – excluding the home match with Brighton – they have found the net 13 times while conceding eight. Four wins and five draws is not ideal, but it is better.
Is winning the FA Cup enough to keep Arne Slot in a job beyond 2025/26? If not, why? 🤔
Jordan Henderson of Liverpool lifts The Emirates FA Cup trophy after their sides victory during The FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
Photo by Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
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As Thursday’s spirited draw away at Arsenal showed, Liverpool have also now found a way of playing which does not rely on their highest paid player of all-time and whether or not he is at the races.
Salah should be commended for keeping his counsel while away with Egypt so far. There must have been a temptation to use his good form as leverage amid the uncertainty surrounding his Liverpool future. Nevertheless, the truth is that there is simply no leverage to be had. The Reds are moving on without him.
Could Salah still leave Liverpool?
It has been a welcome relief that there has been no noise at all about Salah and a possible move away while AFCON rumbles on.
Although he had no problem rocking the boat at Liverpool and jeopardising any kind of harmony at the club, he seemingly does not want to do the same while away with his country.
But Salah will only be away for a week longer at most, and while a good feeling has been restored at Liverpool since his temporary exit, his return is likely to bring more scrutiny and potential disruption.
However, given that there will be less than two weeks of the January window to go once AFCON finishes, it is currently hard to see how Salah leaves the Reds before the end of the month.
The injury situation at Liverpool does mean that Slot may have no choice but to bring Salah back into his line-up when he returns from Morocco. Whether he comes back as champion, player of the tournament or anything in-between, though, all he has proven this month is that there is a clear and good future to be had at Anfield without him.
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