Arne Slot has sealed the fate of ‘poisonous’ Liverpool star who causes ‘tension’ in his squad
Arne Slot appears to have just put the writing on the wall for a Liverpool star who has been causing problems in the dressing room of late.
The Reds have been having difficulties on and off the pitch in recent weeks, and had been on a run of five defeats from six Premier League games before last weekend.
Liverpool’s board are extremely reluctant to sack Slot after the team’s 2-0 victory at West Ham on Sunday, and are now set to show their support for him, despite the poor form of late.
With the manager’s fate seemingly now sealed in a positive way, attention has turned towards the squad, with the sources of the recent issues appearing to have now become clear.
Mohamed Salah has caused a rift in the Liverpool squad
Slot dropped Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s win at West Ham at the weekend, in what was a striking and bold decision from the boss.
The Egyptian has been central to everything at Anfield for several years now, so to leave him out of the starting XI while he was fully fit was a major statement from the Dutchman.
However, that call is arguably perfectly understandable given the latest update that has come to light.
Salah has become a divisive figure in the Liverpool dressing room of late, according to the print edition of Sport BILD (3 December).
The German outlet understands that the winger’s “status is crumbling,” and his ego is viewed as a “poison” to the team.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz joined Salah and Virgil van Dijk as the squad’s highest earners when they arrived in the summer, and that has caused “tension,” with many in the dressing room feeling that Salah’s performances haven’t justified the gametime and money that he has received this season.
Arne Slot snub spells the end for Mohamed Salah
Salah has been linked with a move away from Liverpool in recent weeks, with interest from Saudi Arabia mounting once again ahead of the January window.
Slot’s decision to bench the wideman at the weekend was only a minor gesture on the face of it, but it arguably signals the beginning of the end for him at Anfield, as it shows just how far his status has fallen.
There was once a time when choosing to play without Salah would be virtually unthinkable for either Slot or his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, but this time around, it wasn’t truthfully a decision that really surprised anyone.
Now that Slot has sent that message to Salah, it could well have marked the beginning of the end for the 33-year-old, even if he is reinstated for the midweek clash with Sunderland.
The MLS has also been put forward as a potential destination for Salah, according to American journalist Tom Bogert, and it is becoming apparent that Liverpool will have no shortage of options if they choose to move Salah on.
He has been a phenomenal servant to the Merseysiders for several seasons, but we may now be witnessing his final downfall.