Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on December 13, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (placeholder image
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on December 13, 2025 in Liverpool, England. ( | Getty Images
Mohamed Salah has been missed in recent weeks on AFCON duty, but are his days at Liverpool numbered?
If every there was a player to sum up the entirety of Liverpool’s fortunes in the 2025/26 season, it is Mohamed Salah.
After extending his contract last year alongside Virgil van Dijk, he was expected to lead another title charge alongside a new-look, and expensively assembled forward line. Instead, he has huffed and puffed, and found himself on the bench with his very future at Anfield being questioned despite breaking a series of records on his way to another Premier League title only a matter of months ago.
Is Mohamed Salah set to leave Liverpool?
Given the fall out with Arne Slot, many expect the 33-year old to end his time on Merseyside, especially with continued interest from Saudi Arabia and from MLS with Egyptian ownership playing its part in speculation. There is no doubt that, despite the upturn in form, that his ability to score goals and make a difference has been missed in recent weeks and he would be difficult to replace at the best of times, never mind with just a couple of weeks left of the transfer window.
According to David Ornstein, speaking on The Athletic FC podcast, there is hope that Salah could yet return and play his part in the second half of the season: “We believe that he will be staying when he gets back from AFCON, and that means for the rest of this season, despite the recent uncertainty and the sort of flare up. But let's see how that relationship evolves. If all goes to plan and things are good, he's then got a contract until 2027, he might stay.
“As far as we know, he wants to stay in Liverpool. He loves the club. However, if it doesn't go so well, maybe there is a conversation to be had about a mutual parting of the ways next summer and then, my goodness, there's a big hole to fill. That's one to watch as we go forward towards the summer market.”
Can Salah rediscover his form for Liverpool
This alone would cover the cost of a replacement, even someone like Yan Diomande who, at £87m, is at the expensive end of the market.
What might help Salah’s cause for the remainder of the campaign, is that Conor Bradley is injured and Jeremie Frimpong will be needed to play more games in a deeper role, rather than on the wing as he has been recently.
As a club legend, the last thing that he would want is to leave Liverpool on a sour note and for all that the title might be out of reach now, there is the Champions League and FA Cup still to aim for. With other teams still competing across all fronts, Salah could yet leave a hero if Slot can get his main man firing once again.
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