Mohamed Salah has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and manager Arne Slot has broken his silence on the matter
Arne Slot speaks at his Liverpool press conference
Arne Slot has shared his first impressions of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool(Image: LFC)
View 3 Images
Arne Slot has revealed he was struck by Mohamed Salah's professionalism upon his arrival at Liverpool prior to the pair's falling out. Salah clashed with Slot towards the end of last year and has since confirmed he will depart the Reds at the conclusion of this season.
This campaign marks the Egyptian's final chapter at Anfield, as after nine years packed with an abundance of goals and several trophies, he will bid farewell to the club. Salah's decision was made public through a lengthy social media video, in which he expressed his gratitude to his teammates and the supporters.
However, Liverpool's season has been far from plain sailing. They face a stern challenge to secure a top-four finish and back in December following a 3-3 draw against Leeds United, Salah hit out after being dropped to the bench by Slot for successive matches.
The 33-year-old stated he had "no relationship" with his manager and that someone was attempting to "force him out" of the club. These tensions were swiftly smoothed over, but Slot has now offered an insight into what his rapport with Salah was like from the outset.
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page
On Wednesday, Slot spoke publicly for the first time about Salah's forthcoming departure. He told the club's official website: "He broke record after record after record.
Mohamed Salah and head coach Arne Slot of Liverpool during a pre-season training session on August 02, 2024
Slot admits he was impressed by Salah(Image: Getty)
View 3 Images
"Then I started working with him and already the first day I was impressed by his professionalism because as with any season, it starts with a test that shows how much they did in the off-season and he beat all of them. He was the fittest player that came back and I think that's the ideal situation that you want as a manager: that your star player comes back as fit as he did.
"He had nothing to prove, but for himself he had a lot to prove because Mo always thinks he has to prove something every three days. That hunger never stops and that is something that I find most special about him.
"Everything he's done for the club, but the moment I started working with him I knew it after one day, let alone after a few weeks or months, that it isn't a coincidence that he's been so influential in the last 10 years in football."
Despite this favourable first impression, Salah found himself omitted from Slot's starting line-up earlier this season. A dispute in December followed and the forward was left out of a midweek Champions League squad for the fixture against AC Milan.
Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak of Liverpool on the bench during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road
Salah was benched by Slot for three consecutive matches(Image: Getty)
View 3 Images
Slot said: "Usually I am calm and polite, but that doesn't mean I am weak. If a player has these comments about so many things, then it's about the club and me to react. We reacted in a way you can see - he's not here. I don't feel my authority is undermined, it is not the way I feel it."
The Egyptian subsequently departed for the Africa Cup of Nations and upon his return, it is understood that productive discussions took place. He has since been reintroduced into Slot's starting line-up and will continue to play a role until his departure at the end of the season.
Liverpool are next in action on Saturday lunchtime as they take on Manchester City in an FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad. They then face PSG in the Champions League before welcoming Fulham to Anfield.
Buy Blood Red, our monthly Liverpool FC print publication for just £3.50 by clicking here