Salah Unsure About Liverpool Stay 

Mohamed Salah says he may leave Liverpool in January after claiming the club has “thrown him under the bus” during its poor run of form.

Liverpool’s star forward made the comments in a long and emotional interview on Saturday evening. Salah revealed that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot has broken down and said he is being unfairly blamed as “a problem” for the Premier League champions.

Salah did not play in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road. He was left on the bench for the full match, just as he was in the previous games against West Ham United and Sunderland.

This is the first time in his Liverpool career that he has failed to start back-to-back Premier League matches. Before last weekend’s trip to the London Stadium, he had started 53 consecutive league games.

Speaking about his benching, Salah said: “I could not believe I am sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. That’s the third time. It’s the first time in my career, I think. Very disappointed, done so much for this club over years, especially last season, It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel it.”

He added that he feels someone at the club wants him to take the blame for the team’s struggles. “Someone wants me to get all the blame. [The] club promised me a lot in summer. Now I’m on bench so can say they haven’t kept those promises. I used to have a good relationship [with Slot]. Now we don’t have any relationship and I don’t know why. [It] seems like someone does not want me in the club.”

Salah is expected to join the Egypt national team for the Africa Cup of Nations after Liverpool’s next home match against Brighton. Before he leaves, he wants to spend a moment with the fans at Anfield. “I call my mum and dad told them to come to the Brighton game,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m going to enjoy it. Just going to be at Anfield and say goodbye to the fans before the African Cup, because I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”

The forward, who has scored 250 goals in 420 games for Liverpool, signed a two-year contract extension in April after a standout season that helped Liverpool win the Premier League. But he has scored only five goals in 18 appearances this season. Salah said he feels the club is not giving him the respect he deserves.

“It’s not acceptable to me to be fair,” he said. “If I was somewhere else, every club would protect its players. Now, it’s ‘Throw Mo under the bus because he is a problem in a team.’ I don’t think I am a problem. I am not fighting for my position every day because I have earned it. I am not bigger than the club. I am not bigger than anything. But I have earned it.”

He admitted the situation hurts him deeply. He also expects criticism from pundits. “Absolutely, it hurts me. What I have done, it hurts. … Tomorrow, [former player and now pundit Jamie] Carragher is going to criticize me but that’s fine.”

When asked about a possible January move to Saudi Arabia, Salah refused to give a clear answer. “I don’t want to answer that question because club will take me in a different direction.”

Salah said he still loves Liverpool and the supporters, but he is unsure what the future holds. “I don’t know what is next,” he said. “I don’t know if someone wants me out.”

He also admitted that his relationship with Slot is now “no relationship”, even though it used to be strong. Despite everything, Salah said he does not feel betrayed by his teammates, saying there is “much love” between them.