Mo Salah Urged to Leave Liverpool This Summer as Debate Intensifies Over His Future

Mo Salah has been publicly urged to quit Liverpool in the coming summer as a series of high-profile voices, club events and transfer speculation converge on the Egyptian forward’s future. The calls matter now because they come amid a public breakdown over benching, weekend returns to the team, and renewed interest from overseas clubs as the transfer window approaches.

Rafael van der Vaart: summer exit 'best for both sides'

Former Premier League midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has argued that a summer departure would suit Mohamed Salah, Liverpool and the manager. Van der Vaart said the winger has “lost that extra half yard and the pace is gone with age, ” contrasted that view with defenders such as Virgil van Dijk for whom age matters less, and warned that having a “big player and a big name” can create problems between player and coach. He added that benching Salah is within a coach’s rights but that doing so to a player of his profile “can cause a massive issue” and concluded it “could be best for both sides if Salah goes somewhere else in the summer. ”

Arne Slot, December benching and the Champions League omission

The public dispute that underpins much of the debate began in December when Mohamed Salah was left on the substitutes’ bench under manager Arne Slot and criticized his situation before hinting at a January exit. Salah was later omitted from the squad for Liverpool’s Champions League triumph over Inter Milan. Slot then held direct talks with the forward that preceded Salah’s return to the team for a 2-0 win against Brighton.

Return against Brighton, Africa Cup of Nations and an apology

Following the benching episode, Mohamed Salah returned to action in the 2-0 victory over Brighton after discussions with the manager. Before joining Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations squad, he issued an apology to teammates. These steps followed the public dispute and show cause-and-effect: the benching and omission prompted criticism and introspection, which in turn led to dialogue, a public apology and a short-term on-field reinstatement.

Richard Keys, transfer routes and Al-Ittihad interest

Broadcaster Richard Keys has revised his prediction about Salah’s next destination, now saying he expects the forward to leave Liverpool at the end of this season but not to the Saudi Pro League. Keys suggested the “smart money is on a move to Italy, ” noting that he previously believed a Saudi agreement was done before the player and Liverpool changed their minds. One European report has linked Al-Ittihad with talks about a transfer to Jeddah, but Keys explicitly predicts Italy rather than Saudi Arabia.

Contract status, age and competing claims

Different accounts in recent coverage present conflicting details about Mohamed Salah’s contract and timeline. One item states his deal runs to June 2027, while other commentary says he is entering the final year of his Liverpool contract; the precise status is unclear in the provided context. The forward is described as a 33-year-old who will be 34 in the summer, and one commentator has suggested we might be “just three months away” from a farewell at Anfield for Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time.

Club context: transfers, targets and executive calculus

Liverpool’s season has been characterised in coverage as inconsistent for the defending Premier League champions, with the club plotting for next season as the summer transfer window draws near and targeting a Champions League spot as the campaign nears its final stages. Observers note Liverpool spent £500m in a previous summer and that heavy spending is no guarantee of improvement; van der Vaart urged the club to remain calm and keep faith in Slot, saying Slot “is the man that can turn things around at Liverpool. ”

The commercial and sporting calculus is part of the decision chain: Keys and others suggest overseas clubs would be willing to fund Salah’s wages for a couple of seasons and that FSG might accept a sufficiently generous offer for a player approaching his mid-30s rather than risk losing him for nothing. The timing matters because the window’s proximity, persistent Saudi interest and Italy speculation all compress the club’s options into a short decision period.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit and transfer regret

Separately, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s high-profile move last summer to Real Madrid has been used as context for transfer sentiment at Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold admitted he understood the feelings fans would have about leaving, and his first season at Madrid has been hampered by fitness concerns and squad competition that restricted his playing opportunities; the excerpt of his longer remark ends abruptly in coverage and the remainder is unclear in the provided context.

What makes this notable is how quickly multiple strands—public criticism, benching, a Champions League omission, apology and outside interest—have combined to turn a single player’s situation into a live transfer debate that could be resolved in the coming weeks.