Slot in talks with Salah regarding Seagulls return | OneFootball

Arne Slot says there are “no reasons to not want Mohamed Salah to stay” at Liverpool and plans to speak with the winger again on Friday morning.

Salah said he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club after Saturday’s draw at Leeds, and he was later omitted from the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Inter Milan.

The 33-year-old also insisted he had “earned his place” in the side when addressing reporters in the mixed zone at Elland Road. When asked directly about Salah’s situation — despite the forward signing a two-year extension in April — Reds manager Slot reiterated: “I have no reasons to not want him to stay.”

“I will have a conversation with Mo,” Slot continued. “The outcome of that conversation determines how things will look [on Saturday].”

Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield at 15:00 GMT on Saturday as they aim to recover from back-to-back league draws.

The Egyptian attacker, who has scored 250 goals in 420 games for the club, has been an unused substitute in two of Liverpool’s previous three Premier League fixtures.

His most recent appearance came in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on 3 December, when he featured from the bench; his last start was on 26 November in the Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven.

“After the Sunderland game there were a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me,” Slot said.

Salah is due to join up with Egypt on Monday ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and, depending on how deep the Pharaohs progress, may not return to Merseyside until after the final on 18 January.

He has scored five goals in 18 outings across the Premier League and Champions League this season.