Slot sent fierce warning over ‘out of order’ Salah as new Liverpool exit claim is made | OneFootball

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Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool will soon be back on the agenda and former Premier League manager Tim Sherwood has warned Reds boss Arne Slot that he may need to accept the Egyptian back into his team as he battles to cling on to his job.

Salah appeared to make a move to force his way out of Liverpool when he broke ranks and told the media his relationship with Slot had broken down, and he was being ‘thrown under the bus’ and blamed for the club’s disastrous run of form after he was left on the bench for three successive Premier League matches.

Salah was subsequently dropped from the Liverpool squad for their Champions League game against Inter Milan after those comments, and even though he returned to Slot’s squad after it was revealed he had apologised to his teammates for his outburst to the media, huge question marks remain over his future at the club.

With Saudi Pro League teams eager to sign Salah, there was an expectation that Liverpool’s highest-paid player may leave the club in this month’s transfer window.

However, sources have stressed to TEAMtalk that there is zero chance of that happening this month, with FSG making their stance crystal clear during talks with his agent, Ramy Abass Issa.

Either way, our transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey has revealed Salah’s own demands to Liverpool ahead of his return, with the Egyptian – currently away at AFCON – making it clear he will continue to be a benchwarmer at Anfield.

Despite all that, former Tottenham and Aston Villa manager Sherwood believes Slot needs to be cautious with how he handles Salah when he returns from international duty with Egypt.

The Liverpool manager is under huge pressure after a disappointing run of performances and results over the Christmas period, with Sherwood telling TEAMtalk that the injury to club record signing Alexander Isak could have changed the plans to offload Salah.

Isak is expected to miss a large chunk of the season after picking up a serious leg injury as he scored Liverpool’s opening goal at Tottenham last month, with Sherwood suspecting that may force Slot to stand by Salah for now.

“Salah obviously had his own agenda when he went straight to the press and said what he said,” said Sherwood, talking to TEAMtalk with BetWright Betting UK. “He’s done it a few times now, and that’s obviously not working in the best interests of the club when he does that, as it would create huge noise.

“It goes without saying that he is a legend, one of the best imports we have seen in the Premier League and it’s difficult to know what Arne is going to do with him now. He’s such a good player and it will be interesting to see what happens when he comes back from AFCON.

“The situation with Isak may have changed a few things. He’s out for a long time, so he might need to keep hold of Mo Salah.

“After this season, I’d be very surprised if he is still at Liverpool, but they might need to use him in the squad until the summer.”

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Slot will have no choice but to integrate Salah back in at Liverpool

Despite that, Sherwood is adamant that, despite the fuss the player kicked up, it is a results business, and Slot will likely have to accept that he needs a fit and firing Salah back in his team if they are to enjoy a successful end to the season.

“The last thing you want to do as a manager is cut your nose off to spite your face. So while Slot might want to see the back of Salah, the last thing he can do is get rid of him at the detriment of the side,” Sherwood continued.

“At the end of the day, Slot will be judged on whether he wins football matches, and he might need Salah to give him the best chance to do that.

“It’s a difficult one. What Salah did was out of order, and I don’t know anyone in the game who has backed him on the stance he took. Anyone who has been a manager knows how damning those quotes were.

“Now we have to wait and see what happens next, but the Isak injury may have changed what Liverpool were intending to do with Salah.”

Slot has insisted the stand-off with Salah is over after the player returned to his squad following his explosive comments to the media, but he may have some big decisions to make when Egypt’s participation in the AFCON tournament concludes, and Salah returns to Merseyside later this month.

Liverpool latest: Chiesa exit denials; another side joins Guehi chase

On the subject of Slot, the Reds manager has fiercely defended himself amid accusations that his side do not have an identity under his management.

Liverpool journalist James Pearce has dismissed Fabrizio Romano’s claim that Juventus have made contact to sign Federico Chiesa in the January transfer window, as we look at what is being said about the winger in the Italian media.

Elsewhere, sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, how much Manchester City are planning to bid for Marc Guehi, who remains a top centre-back target for Liverpool.

The two Premier League giants, though, are far from alone and he’s also been made a top target by an ambitious manager looking to make his mark at his club.