Mo Salah has ‘gentleman’s agreement to leave Liverpool’ as only target to replace him is named | OneFootball

A transfer journalist has revealed when Mohamed Salah can leave Liverpool amid claims the Egyptian has a “gentleman’s agreement” over his departure, while a well-respected pundit has identified the only player he thinks FSG will target as his replacement in the side.

Salah departed for the African Cup of Nations on Tuesday with his Anfield future very much up in the air. While he was restored to the Liverpool matchday squad on Saturday, stepping off the bench to help the side beat Brighton 2-0, an emotional lap of honour at the final whistle offered a hint that he may not return to Merseyside.

Indeed, having voiced his displeasure at his regular place among the substitutes in recent weeks, Salah had let his emotions spill over when he accused someone at the club of wanting him gone and “throwing him under the bus” following the recent 3-3 draw at Leeds.

And while manager Arne Slot restored him to the matchday squad for the clash with the Seagulls, we understand he remains far from happy at his situation and does not intend to continue in his role as benchwarmer at Anfield.

Despite that, and amid claims he could leave, it emerged on Wednesday that FSG were adamant the star would not depart in January and were prepared to make that clear in a meeting with his agent Ramy Abbas Issa.

However, that could be a different story come the summer window after transfer journalist Steve Kay revealed that Salah has an unwritten agreement in his deal, allowing him to depart Anfield in summer 2026.

“Personally, at this stage, from what I’m hearing, I don’t think he will [leave in January],” Kay began on KS1 TV. “Things seem to have calmed down a bit. As I’ve said, we’re waiting to see, but I’m told there was a gentleman’s agreement that he could leave.

“He wanted a three-year contract with the option to leave after a year, but Liverpool said no – you can have two years and leave after one. That was the compromise.

“When Salah came out and suggested someone wanted him out of the club, I think that went a bit over the top. It wasn’t that they wanted him out; it was that they didn’t want to give him the contract he wanted.

“And I understand that. Three years is too much, because you end up paying him to leave after a year, and then paying him off on top of that. So I get it completely.”

Liverpool’s only option to replace Mo Salah named

News that Salah will likely stay until the summer will be music to Jamie Carragher’s ears, who this week had made a big appeal to the player to remain until the summer and leave with the utmost respect from the club and the supporters he has served with such distinction over the last nine seasons.

However, succession planning has been a buzz phrase at Anfield ever since Richard Hughes’ appointment as sporting director and the Reds took the first steps towards planning for the future in the first weeks of their reign when they splashed out big sums to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili as the long-term successor to Alisson.

Next up, and despite offering the pair new two-year deals in the off-season, Hughes knows he will need to plan for life after veteran pair Virgil van Dijk and Salah.

As far as replacing Salah is concerned, Liverpool have a number of potential options, though none more prevalent right now than in-form Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.

The Ghanaian has a £60m plus £5m in bonuses release clause in his Cherries deal that can be triggered in January, and with Fabrizio Romano providing the very latest on a frantic transfer race that also includes Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Now, according to pundit and former Reds Double winner, Steve Nicol, the 25-year-old winger is the only player Liverpool should be looking at to replace the iconic 33-year-old Egyptian.

“The only thing now would be that they have to have somebody lined up for January,” Nicol said on ESPN FC about Salah potentially leaving.

“Who would you have then, Stevie?” he was asked.

“I’d have Semenyo from Bournemouth, but it’s going to be hard to get him out in January.

“If they can’t do that, then can you really let him go? The difference down the right-hand side when he came on to what we had seen, we were looking at Joe Gomez, and there was nothing else, zero.

“So unless they are bringing someone like Semenyo in, then they can’t let him go.”

The good news for Liverpool is that, according to our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are also Semenyo’s number one pick were he to leave the Vitality Stadium next month.

Meanwhile, two reliable Liverpool reporters have strongly hinted at who will succeed Van Dijk as captain when the time comes, and the Reds are working feverishly to secure a new deal for the player in question, accompanied by a well-deserved pay rise.

Elsewhere, a mind-boggling report from Spain claims Liverpool are ready.