Mo Salah told ‘the football had left him’ after staggering drop-off left Liverpool ‘looking like they had 10 men’ | OneFootball

Liverpool have been told the departure of Mohamed Salah will benefit the team going next season, with the Egyptian looking like a shadow of the one who deserved to be in regular Ballon d’Or conversations and with clarity now arriving on where he will end up moving to next.

The Egyptian is right up there in conversations over the greatest Liverpool players of all time, having helped the club win eight major honours, including the Champions League once and the Premier League twice. The scorer of a titanic 255 goals across his nine seasons at Anfield, Salah is currently sat third on their all-time list.

While he will depart Anfield a hero at the season’s end, having confirmed his farewell, the hunt is now on for the player’s successor.

To that end, a report on Thursday revealed the Reds have compiled an eight-strong list of options to step into his very sizeable shoes at Anfield.

But in the wake of that exit announcement, Manchester United supporter and YouTuber, Mark Goldbridge, paid a rich, if not unexpected tribute to the Liverpool superstar, despite his admission that their rivals will improve as a team without him.

“Liverpool have said that Mohamed Salah will bring the curtain down on his illustrious career at Anfield at the end of the 2025 26 season, the time to fully celebrate his legacy and achievements will follow later in the year when he bids farewell to Anfield. Well, it won’t be that long, it’s only going to be two more months,” Goldbridge began on his YouTube channel.

“What are your thoughts on this? I mean, look, I’ve seen some mixed opinions online. Lots of people blaming Arne Slot; lots of people are not very happy about it.

“I mean, look, you’ve got to try and put yourself in the shoes of Liverpool fans. He [Salah] is going to go down as one of the greatest ever players, certainly in the Premier League era. The numbers that he’s put in over the years consistently are incredible.

“I think that many people appreciate Mo Salah as one of the Premier League’s greatest players, but I do feel that he’s probably been a bit underrated as well in the world game. I don’t know whether that’s because he’s Egyptian and he’s not French or Brazilian, so he’s not from a traditional footballing powerhouse nation, but he is that good.

“He is that good; he belongs to be, but hasn’t always been, in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or every year, and I think he deserves to be in that discussion more often down the years.

“Even as a Man Utd fan, I would say, you know, an incredible player who, also from the wing, has put in numbers better than most strikers down the years. Not to mention all those assists.

“So a fantastic player, absolutely no doubt about it, and he deserves that praise and applause that you’ll get, not only from Liverpool fans, but from Premier League fans and football fans, too.”

Salah a fading force; Liverpool are ‘better off without him’

Despite waxing lyrical about the player’s achievements down the years, Goldbridge feels Liverpool will become a better side once the Egyptian moves on, describing him as a fading force and someone who has “seen the football leave him”.

Goldbridge added: “However, I disagree with the outpouring of anger, because if you’ve been watching football this season, that’s not Mo Salah at his best, and regardless of whether Liverpool go on to win anything, I’d be very surprised if Mo Salah himself hadn’t realised that the football had left him in the sense, this season.

“Yes, there’s flashes of the Mo Salah that Liverpool fans love, but it’s not the consistent Mo Salah we saw, even last season. It’s incredible to watch. This season for Liverpool, it’s been like at times, they’ve been down to 10 men; not because he’s terrible, but because the drop-off from what you expect from Salah to what you get now is so vast.

“So I think even from a Mo Salah point of view, it makes sense for him to leave Liverpool at the end of this season.”

With just 10 goals to his name this season – comfortably his lowest-ever seasonal tally at Anfield – Goldbridge would appear to have a point.

Where to next for Mo Salah? Frontrunners named; European option mooted

So where to next for the Egyptian icon?

In the wake of Tuesday’s announcement, our reporter Graeme Bailey revealed that the Saudi Pro League remain firmly in pole position to sign Salah at the end of the season – and having named the side at the front of the queue to sign him.

Salah has long been identified as the future figurehead of the Pro League, with officials determined to secure arguably the world’s most prominent Muslim athlete as the face of their project. The Egyptian superstar is viewed as the natural successor to Cristiano Ronaldo in that role.

We can reveal that Salah has been offered a package comparable to Ronaldo’s current deal — one that would see him become one of the highest-paid players in football history, while also taking on a significant ambassadorial position to promote the league globally.

Among the potential destinations, Al-Ittihad are currently viewed as frontrunners. However, Al-Nassr are also firmly in contention, particularly given the lingering uncertainty surrounding Ronaldo’s long-term future. It is understood Salah will ultimately be given the freedom to choose his preferred club.

A source with knowledge of the situation told TEAMtalk: “This has been in the works since last year. After the public falling out with Arne Slot, that was the beginning of the end.

“This season hasn’t quite worked out, but there is still hope Liverpool can finish with silverware.

“Mo has made the announcement, and Liverpool were fully aware – it’s a class act. Both sides want this to end the right way, and this is the start of that process.”

At the same time, three separate sources are backing Salah to continue playing at the highest level, with reports of a move to Italy starting to gather pace and with Jamie Carragher explaining why he thinks such a move will happen before he opts to move to the Middle East somewhere down the line.

Liverpool latest: Agent Klopp lines up jaw-dropping deal; Everton star wanted

With regards a successor, we understand Liverpool have made further contacts with RB Leipzig over the signing of highly-rated young winger Yan Diomande, with Jurgen Klopp’s role in a potential deal revealed.

Our reporter, Fraser Fletcher, first mentioned Diomande as a target for the Reds in December, having revealed the Merseysiders were in, what was described to him, as almost daily contact over a deal.

Another option we understand the Reds are discussing would certainly be a controversial one, after we were told they are prepared to make a ground-breaking move on their cross-city rivals, Everton, for an attacking sensation.

That news comes after links towards three world-class stars were rapidly played down and they were hit with a strong ‘not for sale’ warning.

In other news, TEAMtalk understands that Sunderland could face a summer battle to keep a versatile star on their books, with multiple Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, ready to make a move and very much tempted by his lowly asking price.