The Elland Road mixed zone is usually a place of hurried platitudes and “onto the next one” clichés. But in December, it became the site of a tactical and emotional earthquake—one sparked by the presence and performance of Mohamed Salah.
As Mohamed Salah stood before the microphones, the mask of the consummate professional didn’t just slip it was hurled aside.
“I have done so much for this club… now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why,” Salah admitted, his voice carrying the weight of a man who felt his legendary status should insulate him from the cold reality of Arne Slot’s rotation policy. “It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.” And yet, the situation brings a new chapter into Mohamed Salah’s story at Liverpool.
Since that afternoon, a “professional truce” has governed the AXA Training Centre. Yet, as Liverpool prepare for a pivotal trip to Sunderland, the internal logic at Anfield is shifting. Sentiment is a luxury Liverpool can no longer afford.
With Al-Ittihad reportedly ready to triple Salah’s £400,000-a-week wages, the time has come to stop asking if Liverpool can survive without Salah, and start realising they might actually thrive. Incidentally, Mohamed Salah’s value in global football keeps rising with every headline.
The tactical handcuffs: why individual brilliance is costing the collective
For nearly a decade, Liverpool’s tactical blueprint was simple: “Give it to Mo.” Under Jurgen Klopp, this individual brilliance fuelled a trophy-laden era. However, Arne Slot’s “Slot-ball” demands a different kind of sacrifice.
The Dutchman prioritises structural integrity, pressing-resistance, and a 4-2-3-1 system that requires wingers to be as diligent in their defensive tracking as they are clinical in the box.
Consequently, Salah’s natural tendency to remain high and wide waiting for the transitional moment—now leaves Liverpool’s midfield exposed.
During the recent 2-1 defeat to Manchester City, the gaps on the right flank were cavernous. Indeed, data suggests that when Dominik Szoboszlai or Alexis Mac Allister occupy that space, the team’s defensive “compactness” improves by nearly 15%.
The 33-year-old remains a match-winner, but he is becoming a tactical outlier in a system that craves uniformity. By moving on, Slot finally gains the freedom to implement a collective press that doesn’t have a “Mo-sized” hole in it. In this sense, Mohamed Salah’s departure may be transformative for the club’s tactics.
The Saudi windfall: funding the £450m evolution
Furthermore, the financial logic is undeniable. Liverpool’s massive summer outlay which brought Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike to Merseyside has already signalled the start of a new regime.
Salah turns 34 next year. He currently has 18 months left on a contract that expires in June 2027. If FSG sanction a sale this summer, they can expect a fee north of £100m. Add to that the astronomical savings on his wages, and Liverpool suddenly possess the “war chest” required to trigger players that could fill the void if and when he departs Merseyside.
As Liverpool Echo Journalist Paul Gorst noted following the City defeat, “The club has moved from the era of icons to the era of the engine.” Cashing in now allows Richard Hughes to complete the “surgery” on the squad while Salah’s market value remains at its peak. Therefore, the financial reality is clear: Mohamed Salah can lead Liverpool to a new era, even if only through his transfer.
Life after the King: the internal heirs
While the search for a successor continues, the internal solutions are already blooming. Florian Wirtz produced his best performance in a Red shirt when Salah was benched against West Ham, thriving as the primary creative fulcrum. Without the need to funnel every attack through the right wing, Wirtz and Szoboszlai find more “half-spaces” to exploit.
Ultimately, the quickest route to the “perfection” Slot demands is a squad entirely aligned with his vision. The “Leeds outburst” proved that Salah is rightly or wrongly struggling to accept a secondary role.
“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,” Salah said. That bridge isn’t just burnt the foundations crumbled.
If Liverpool want to bridge the 11-point gap to the summit and avoid what Slot calls an “unacceptable” and fear of lack of Champions League football next season, they must embrace the future. Salah’s legacy is set in stone his goals are etched in Anfield history. But logic dictates that the King must abdicate now so that the new empire can finally take shape.
To sum up, Mohamed Salah continues to capture headlines and drive debates, both for Liverpool and on the global stage.
