Exclusive: Mohamed Salah’s updated transfer plan revealed after sparkling Liverpool display
Mohamed Salah is expected to leave Liverpool in the summer window despite a scintillating display against Brighton on Saturday evening, sources have told Football Insider.
The 33-year-old recaptured his club form after a wretched winter with a standout individual performance in a comfortable 3-0 win as Arne Slot’s team reached the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Salah emphatically slammed in a penalty he had won with a slaloming run before lapping up the Anfield applause both when he was substituted after 77 minutes and at the final whistle.
It was an encouraging night for player and team following a difficult few months in which it had seemed he was on his way out of the club.
Sources say that is still the most likely scenario going into the summer window when he will have just a year left on the mega-money contract he signed last summer.
The interest from the Saudi Pro League remains real and concerted as they plan to make him the face of the money-spinning league to replace exit-bound Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Read more: Keith Hackett explains why Mohamed Salah’s penalty should have been disallowed vs Brighton
The stats behind Mohamed Salah’s dazzling display
It has been a rarity to see Salah at his very best this season, despite the monstrous campaign that saw him register 47 direct goal contributions in the Premier League alone last time out.
It was Slot’s decision to bench the forward for three consecutive games in December that triggered the fallout between the two, but it was hard to say the Dutchman was not justified in his action.
| Mohamed Salah | Vs Brighton |
| Minutes played | 77 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Touches in opposition box | 11 |
| Successful dribbles | 3/4 |
| Recoveries | 4 |
| Duels won | 6/9 |
Since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, however, Salah has featured prominently, notching four assists and two goals.
On Saturday, the winger was in stunning form and duly put Brighton to the sword at Anfield.
Alongside Salah’s penalty and his brilliantly deft assist for Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal, he also created four chances and took five shots.
The 33-year-old was everywhere, completing more dribbles than any other player on the pitch, and winning three free-kicks as well.
Liverpool have struggled for consistent form in recent weeks, but should Salah make displays like that a regularity again, they will finish in the top four with ease.
What Arne Slot said about Salah’s performance
Liverpool will hope to keep Salah this summer, but the winger may well decide for himself that his future lies elsewhere.
His quality is still very much there, as Saturday night’s performance indicated, but the consistency has not been present this season.
“It’s very nice to have him on the scoresheet again and him having an assist,” said Slot after the game.
“But I think what I like the most at the moment, that he’s scoring goals is something you can almost expect, but he also helps the team a lot defensively. That is something very positive – what the team also needs.”