Slot reveals all on Mo Salah’s Liverpool future after West Ham benching as huge new reality dawns | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot insists Mo Salah ‘remains crucial’ to the Reds and will continue to do so after his role as an unused substitute at West Ham led to speculation that it was the beginning of the end for him at Anfield, though we believe a major reality will have struck the Dutchman after the player’s benching.

The Egyptian star has written himself into Liverpool folklore off the back of an incredible nine-year stint at Anfield. With 250 goals for the club to his name, Salah sits third and now needs 36 more to eclipse Roger Hunt to second on that list.

However, after earning the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history when signing a new two-year deal at Anfield in April, the 33-year-old numbers – and performances – have been on the decline ever since.

And after going four games for the Reds without a goal, Salah was dropped to the bench for Sunday’s clash at West Ham.

With Liverpool deservedly claiming a 2-0 win without Salah even entering the fray, questions have now been raised about whether it’s the beginning of the end for the Egyptian King on Merseyside.

Slot, however, is adamant Salah still has a role to play and will still have a very prominent future at Anfield, having given a detailed reasoning for his benching.

“Mo has had an unbelievable career and will have a very good future at this club because he’s such a special player. But when you have four games in 10 days, then you have to decide once in a while on a certain lineup,” Slot told the media.

It is the first time in 18 months, Salah has been omitted from a Liverpool side in the Premier League.

However, Slot explained he felt West Ham’s tactics made it necessary to let him sit out this one, adding: “The way West Ham set up with a full-back that’s constantly high and a winger who’s inside, I thought this would help the team.”

Is Salah really done at Liverpool?

With a match on Wednesday at home to Sunderland and then an away clash at Leeds on Saturday, Salah will likely be given minutes at some point over the remainder of the week.

Indeed, his benching could prove a masterstroke if it reignites a spark in the player that had been seemingly lacking in recent weeks.

At the same time, however, the 2-0 victory at the London Stadium will have shown Slot the blueprint for how Liverpool no longer need to rely on Salah.

His work rate, or failure to track back, has come in for criticism in recent weeks and the fact that West Ham push their full-backs high – as cited by Slot – seemed a perfect game in which to rest him.

In his absence, a front four of Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Dominic Szoboszlai and Alexander Isak excelled, and did more than enough to suggest that Liverpool can succeed with life beyond Salah.

Indeed, having made four changes in total to his line-up, Slot will very quickly have drawn big conclusions about Wirtz, Salah and the returning Joe Gomez; our theories of which can be read about here.

As for Salah, it’s perhaps too soon to consider if this could be the beginning of the end for him at Anfield.

However, at 33 years of age and with the Reds, notably, taking a strong interest in signing Antoine Semenyo – potentially as a direct replacement – it would not come as a major surprise.

With just over 18 months remaining on his deal and with one journalist already talking up that Liverpool are now in the Salah endgame, would it really come as a surprise were the Reds to sell while they still can at the season’s end?

Meanwhile, Liverpool continue to make contingency plans for life after Slot after a divisive figure revealed their plans to appoint one of Europe’s leading coaches as his successor and their immediate plans for an interim boss, while our sources can reveal what the Dutchman must do next to ensure he survives.

On the transfer front, stunning reports are talking up Liverpool bidding €60m for a Real Madrid midfielder, and the expectation is if such an offer is received, it would be accepted.

Finally, with the Reds also linked with Iliman Ndiaye, we have been in touch with Everton to get their take on the situation and with a harsh reality, dampening claims a controversial move from the Toffees to Liverpool could be on.