Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has returned to the Reds’ squad for their Premier League clash against Brighton but he faces an uncertain future at Anfield ahead of the January transfer window
Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender William Gallas believes Mohamed Salah should have left Liverpool in the summer. The forward has been dropped to the bench in recent weeks and was left out of the Reds’ squad entirely for their trip to Inter Milan in midweek.
Salah’s absence came after an incendiary post-match interview where he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus”. The Egyptian also cited a breakdown in his relationship with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
The Reds’ under-pressure boss confirmed in his Friday morning press conference that he was set for talks with Salah. The decision was then made to bring him back into Liverpool’s squad for the home clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
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Salah is set to jet off to the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after Saturday’s game against the Seagulls. But Gallas believes the Reds’ star forward should no longer be at Anfield.
Speaking to OLBGthe Frenchman has shared his belief that the 33-year-old now faces a very difficult situation amid a poor season so far on Merseyside.
He said: “It’s a big shame what has happened, and my opinion about this is that maybe he should have left before the season started.
“I know he was very important for Liverpool, that’s why he re-signed. He extended two more years, but I think it’s very difficult for everyone to see what happened, for the fans, for the club, for him to be in that situation. I hope they will find a solution.
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“We will see what is going to happen in the future. Mohamed Salah is a player who has scored so many goals. He helped the team so much.
“What he has to do when he comes back from the African Cup is do what we want to see from him, which is to score goals and to try to bring Liverpool back into the top four.”
Salah’s intensity and refusal to accept lower standards from himself or those around him have underpinned Liverpool’s success. Former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has previously referenced this when asked about his character, having worked with the Egyptian for most of his tenure at Anfield.
Speaking to BBC Sporthe said: “We are all massively influenced by our past – how we were raised, where we grew up. Mo knew early on (in his life) that he had to do more than others.
“He always developed. He never stops. That is his mindset.
“After each summer break, he came back and had a new skill. It was like he had spent the whole time just practising one particular type of pass.
“We pushed each other, just to make sure that we would never stop. And we never did stop. That moment lifting the Premier League bonded us for life. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.
“I wouldn’t say he is easy to manage, but he is also not difficult to manage. You (only) have problems with Mo Salah if he is not playing or you take him off.”
