Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool this summer, but three key factors — including incoming manager Andoni Iraola's attacking style — could yet persuade the all-time great to reconsider his exit
21:45, 10 Jun 2026Updated 21:51, 10 Jun 2026
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool
Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool this summer - or is he?(Image: Jack Thomas, Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah confirmed his Liverpool exit months ago, yet several factors could convince the forward to dramatically reverse that decision.
The 33-year-old brought his nine-year spell at Anfield to an end, with the Reds reaffirming his departure in the club's retained list.
The situation looked very different a year ago, when Salah' s 29 goals helped steer Arne Slot's side to the Premier League title in the manager's maiden season at the helm. The Egypt international's contract was due to run until 2027, but in March it was confirmed that his deal would be terminated early.
As it stands, Salah is on course to leave Liverpool this summer as a club legend. However, until he decides on his next destination following the World Cup, there are three compelling reasons why Salah could yet have a change of heart...
New project
The first sign of Salah's impending departure came when the winger was dropped from the starting line-up for three successive games in December.
During a post-match interview, Salah said: "It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.", reports the Mirror.
He also hinted that his relationship with Slot had soured, though the pair would later reach an understanding. If his working dynamic with the manager played a role in Salah's unexpected decision to leave Liverpool, Slot's successor Andoni Iraola offers the forward the opportunity to be part of an entirely new chapter.
In May, Salah called for a substantial change in style through a social media post: "I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it."
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot after the former's final Liverpool appearance
Salah's relationship with Slot broke down(Image: Getty Images)
Shift in philosophy
Whether Iraola can fulfil Salah's demands remains to be seen, but the manager has previously caught Jurgen Klopp's attention. While Slot attracted criticism for his team's cautious approach last season, the incoming Liverpool manager is known for a more enterprising style and is also willing to encourage individual creativity, which may appeal to Salah.
"I sometimes value much more a player carrying the ball and forcing things to happen," Iraola told The Independent in January 2025. "I think when you play too positional – one, two touches to find a free man – you sometimes lose the initiative from the players to just take their man on and attack the spaces."
The then-Bournemouth manager had already caught the eye of legendary Liverpool boss Klopp a year before. The Spanish coach faced a difficult start to life in the Premier League but quickly turned his side's fortunes around, which evidently resonated with Klopp.
"They turned it around, wow. That's real coaching, I have to say. He found a way to set this team up and they have a really good mix," Klopp said in January 2024. "They play football in a fine direction, in the right moments. They use Dom Solanke in a sensational way, the support he gets from the centre, from the wings, the way they defend, they're really good, really compact, so that's proper."
Liverpool legacy
Salah has secured two Premier League titles, the Champions League and countless other major trophies during his spell at Liverpool. Despite achieving so much already, there remains a compelling argument for him to continue building his legacy at Anfield.
The affection Liverpool supporters hold for Salah would be impossible to match at any new club. The seasoned forward could play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era under Iraola, while continuing to pursue Roger Hunt to move into second place in the club's all-time goalscoring records.
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Salah choosing to stay at Liverpool appears unlikely, but football can be unpredictable, as the Reds' past two seasons have shown.
When asked about his future last month, Salah said: "I will still see [about where to go next], I have time now, I am going to the World Cup and then everything will be clear, either if there is a good opportunity before it I will decide, and if it is not there, I will make my decision after the World Cup."