Jamie Redknapp says he would not be surprised if the Egyptian superstar leaves Anfield in the next period and would be disappointed after starting on the bench in his last two games.
Mohamed Salah must have looked out from his vantage point in the Liverpool dugout and wondered if he had been made into some kind of scapegoat. Four goals in two games in which Salah did not start was a decent return for decision-maker Arne Slott, but the performance was not exactly exhilarating.
They were pretty mediocre, including a lackluster win against West Ham United and a draw at home to Sunderland. Coach Slott made the right decision to remove Salah from the starting lineup in the latest match. absolutely.
The win at the London Stadium was certainly pedestrian, but it was still a win, and the team looked balanced and unlikely to concede. And it was a relief for him, as the high chance of conceding goals has been a serious issue for Slott this season.
read more: Jamie Carragher reflects on ‘terrible’ Liverpool and picks the moment that sums it upread more: Steven Gerrard earns recommendation to Liverpool, Rangers snubbed and leaves icon hoping for a call-up
However, the initial decision to remove Salah was a tough one. He was sent off after being beaten by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield, and his involvement in the second of the Dutch side’s four goals was widely watched and criticized.
Mauro Junior passed Salah, but the Egyptian didn’t mind chasing the PSV man. It’s fine when you and your team are having a great season, but not when you’re losing games for fun. But even if that were the case, Salah may have thought he was unfairly singled out.
Slott said Salah faced the relegation with the utmost professionalism and no one would doubt that claim. However, Jamie Redknapp’s comments after the draw with Sunderland were very interesting.
Redknapp remains on good terms at Anfield, saying: “He (Salah) will be disappointed and even blamed for what’s going on. I would be surprised if he sees out the remaining two years of his contract, or even a year and a half. Nothing in football would surprise me – whether it’s in January or maybe in the summer.”
If Redknapp says Salah will be disappointed, there’s a good chance Salah is disappointed. If you’re a betting type, you’d leave a mortgage on Salah, who came on in the second half against Sunderland and returns to the starting XI against Leeds United on Saturday night.
And my money was always, and still is, on Salah for showing us that he remains a game-changer, an incredible attacking force and a unique talent. Salah, who has had a remarkable career with an incredible record of appearances, should benefit from this strange break, but the suggestion from behind the scenes at Anfield is that he doesn’t see it that way.
And that means a dilemma looms at Anfield. If a Saudi club, most likely Al Hilal, were to make a big offer for a player who turns 34 in June, would Liverpool’s board be willing to accept it? The answer to that is probably yes.
A conservative estimate of the cost to Liverpool of the remainder of Salah’s contract would be around £31m. Let’s say a Saudi club were prepared to pay around £70m for Salah. This will give the club a lot of money to find a replacement.
For Salah, pride prevented him from staying at a club that was ready to move on. But from a football perspective, Liverpool would be taking the wrong step if they agree to sell Salah in January.
We’d definitely like to re-evaluate the situation next summer, but Liverpool have a Champions League challenge at the end of January – not to mention a fight to finish in the Premier League’s top four – and it would be madness to try to do so without their current Player of the Year. Redknapp was right when he said ‘all things must come to an end’, but the end has not yet come for Liverpool and Salah.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
