Why Liverpool will not give Mo Salah a farewell vs Brighton | OneFootball

Liverpool are reportedly not planning to give Mohamed Salah a farewell when the Reds host Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

Salah did not travel to Italy for Liverpool’s Champions League win over Inter on Tuesday after claiming the club had “thrown him under the bus” in an explosive interview on Saturday night.

Mo Salah situation explained

The Egyptian forward revealed that he told his family to attend Saturday’s match against Brighton, hinting that it could be his final appearance at Anfield before he heads to the Africa Cup of Nations next week.

His bombshell interview resulted in him being left in Liverpool as his teammates travelled to Italy, and it is unclear whether he will be in the squad to face Fabian Hurzeler’s side this weekend.

He is clearly eager to play, having lost his marbles and claimed everyone hates him after only three games on the bench, one of which he came on at half-time. But Liverpool don’t want to tank his transfer value by making it obvious to suitors that he has no future at the club.

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Saudi clubs will ‘do whatever it takes’ to sign Salah

According to The Telegraph, Liverpool want to ‘protect any future transfer fee’ as a ‘long list of Saudi Arabian clubs are ‘willing to do whatever it takes’ to sign the most recognisable Muslim footballer on the planet.

The Reds will want the highest fee possible and offers are ‘expected’ in the January transfer window.

Liverpool’s stance is that Salah should bring in a substantial fee given his contract runs until 2027, and parading him in front of the Anfield crowd to wave goodbye would essentially confirm that there is no way back. Doing so would obviously weaken their position in negotiations, with a move to the Saudi Pro League still the most likely outcome.

A source told Telegraph Sport: “There is competition within the Saudi league to bring in Salah. It’s not only the PIF-affiliated clubs.”

Saudi clubs have recently scaled back transfer spending, but will make exceptions for players like Salah, whom they have pursued for more than two years.

Salah trained alone on Tuesday and with the team on Monday, and he should find out on Friday if he is in the squad for the Brighton game.

There will surely be talks between the Egyptian and the Liverpool hierarchy to decide how to end the stand-off and how to give him the right send-off.

Lineker weighs in on ‘awful’ Salah situation

Meanwhile, Gary Lineker believes it would be “awful” for Salah to leave Liverpool on bad terms.

“I find it a little bit sad,” Lineker said. “Obviously, a lot of the footballing world are attacking Mo, and I understand why.

“I just hope his legacy is not spoiled here. I think he’s just got a bit emotional and got caught at the wrong time after not being brought on.

“I wonder if he regrets it now. I saw him post on Instagram of him just in the gym, totally on his own.

“I hope they can find a way out of this. Maybe Mo can go, ‘I’m sorry, I got a bit emotional, I shouldn’t have done it,’ blah blah blah. That might sort it out.

“I suspect he’ll be out again at the weekend because he’s got the African Cup of Nations. But if they can have some kind of peace conference before he goes, kiss and make up, go away, play the African Cup of Nations, come back refreshed, reinvigorated, perhaps slightly apologetic…

“I’d hate it – it’d be awful if it ended miserably after such a wonderful, what is it, nine years?”