Mohamed Salah believes he has been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool, and his relationship with head coach Arne Slot has soured.
Salah was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 3-3 tie with Leeds United, the third time the Egypt forward has started from the bench.
After the game, the scorer of 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances stated in an unprecedented interview with journalists, “I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.
“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship.
“I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.
“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.
“This club, I will always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, and I always will.
“It [the situation] is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don’t get it. It’s like I’m being thrown more under the bus. I don’t think I’m the problem. I have done so much for this club.
“I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone, but I earned my position. It’s football. It is what it is.”
The Egyptian, who is going to the Africa Cup of Nations on 15 December, added that he was unsure about his Liverpool future, despite signing a new two-year contract in April.
Salah, 33, netted 29 goals in the 2024-25 Premier League as the Reds clinched the title in Slot’s inaugural season at the helm.
Nevertheless, he has faced difficulties in maintaining form since Liverpool has not been able to replicate last season’s success.
Salah, signed from Roma by Jurgen Klopp in 2017, has netted only four goals in 13 league appearances this season.
The Saudi Pro League has long sought to include Salah—arguably the most famous Middle Eastern player in the world—in a lineup of international superstars featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.
Reports suggest that Al-Hilal, under the management of Simone Inzaghi, is one of the clubs keen on Salah.
BBC Sport reports that Liverpool is considering various options regarding Salah’s future due to the interest from Saudi Arabia.
Following the Leeds match—where Liverpool was ahead 2-0 and later 3-2 before allowing a 96th-minute equalizer—Slot explained to Sky Sports his reasons for not bringing Salah on as a substitute.
“It was more about controlling the game [at 3-2], and we didn’t need a goal,” said Slot before Salah’s interview.
“Normally when you need a goal, like last week against Sunderland, I brought Mo on.”
Speaking at his pre-match news conference on Friday, Slot stated that he understood the talk surrounding Salah after being dropped from the team.
“The chatter, yes, because he deserves that; he has been so influential for me for six or seven years. It’s completely normal people talk about it when he isn’t playing,” added Slot.
Salah, third on Liverpool’s all-time list of scorers behind Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285), made his most recent start in the 4-1 Champions League home defeat by PSV Eindhoven.
