Sources reveal REAL REASON Salah spoke out, with Liverpool chiefs Edwards and Hughes to intervene | OneFootball

Multiple sources believe there is an ulterior motive behind Mohamed Salah speaking out on Saturday, and a report has outlined whether the Liverpool winger’s plan will work.

Salah’s explosive comments have put his future at Anfield under the microscope. On a surface level, the winger’s outburst appears to be self-centred, with Salah ranting after being benched for the third match in a row.

However, the reasoning behind Salah’s interview may well run deeper, and The Athletic’s James Pearce has spoken to multiple sources who believe Salah had an ulterior motive for speaking out.

Pearce wrote: “If Salah was trying to crank up the pressure on Slot and make his position untenable – which is the view of several people spoken to by The Athletic for the purposes of this article, with one calling it a “calculated” assault – he is set to be disappointed.”

The spotlight is on Salah and whether he’ll be a Liverpool player beyond the January window, but attention – perhaps in Salah’s mind – should be on the manager instead.

Slot has presided over a disastrous campaign so far in which his side make the exact same mistakes, week in week out. Yet the only tangible change the Dutchman has made in an attempt to reverse fortunes is to drop the club’s best forward.

His refusal to drop underperformers Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo are mind-boggling, especially with Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa waiting in the wings.

Furthermore, Liverpool have made zero progress in their quest to improve at set pieces at both ends of the pitch, continue to flounder when attempting to crack open a low block, and constantly leave themselves open to counters in 3v3s and 4v4s.

As such, the suggestion in The Athletic’s piece is Salah has attempted to push the man he believes is at the heart of Liverpool’s problems this season into an untenable position. And as the most high profile player within the squad and a bona fide club legend, he knows comments coming from him will have maximum impact and cannot be ignored.

In doing so, he’s put his own future at the club at risk, but seemingly believes it’s a gamble worth taking for the good of the club.

In any case, what is becoming increasingly clear is Salah’s gamble WON’T work. talkSPORT reported owners FSG are backing the manager, while Pearce added meat on the bones on that aspect of the story.

He wrote: “The Dutchman retains the support of FSG and sacking a manager on the back of a player challenging a selection decision is unthinkable, no matter how iconic the player being left out happens to be.”

What happens next? Edwards and Hughes to intervene

Sources have told us Salah is expected to be omitted from Liverpool’s squad to face Inter Milan on the Champions League on Tuesday night.

An absence from the team to face Brighton next weekend is also anticipated, with Salah then jetting off for AFCON.

A January transfer – most likely to Saudi Arabia – could be agreed, but as of now, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed no deal is in place and Salah – out of respect for Liverpool – hasn’t even opened talks with Saudi officials.

With no firm decision reached one way or the other, Pearce went on to explain Michael Edwards (FSG’s CEO of Football) and Richard Hughes (Liverpool’s sporting director) could now attempt to broker some form of peace agreement between Slot and Salah.

Pearce concluded: “So what happens now? Much depends on whether Edwards and Hughes can broker some kind of peace deal or whether the point of no return has already been reached.

“If Salah really is intent on leaving, then it’s simply a case of getting the best possible deal in the January window and reinvesting the proceeds on a replacement, such as Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.”

Semenyo can be signed via a £65m (£60m plus £5m in add-ons) release clause, though Manchester City are believed to be frontrunners for the winger at present.

In other news, a trusted source on all things Liverpool has dropped five revelations about Salah and his situation at Anfield, including why his teammates weren’t surprised by the outburst and which side owners FSG are taking.

Elsewhere, one Liverpool in-the-know claims the Reds have made initial contact with Steven Gerrard over taking temporary control in the dugout if Slot is sacked.

One man the Reds will not turn to, though, is Oliver Glasner after a reporter revealed exactly why the Crystal Palace boss is a ‘bad fit’ for the reigning Premier League champions.