James Pearce pinpoints BIG Mo Salah problem amid claims star has ‘gentleman’s agreement to leave Liverpool’ | OneFootball

FSG have made their intentions clear about keeping Mohamed Salah following a meeting with the player’s agent, though reliable journalist James Pearce still fears the Egyptian’s future at Anfield remains far from certain and amid damaging claims from elsewhere that the star has an unwritten agreement allowing him to leave.

Salah has this week departed for Morocco and the African Cup of Nations with his future at Anfield far from certain. While there has been a calming of the waters since the 33-year-old sensationally claimed that someone at Liverpool wants him gone and that he has been “thrown under the bus”, it remains uncertain if he has a future at Liverpool beyond January 31, when the Saudi Arabian transfer window closes for business.

An emotional lap of honour by Salah at the conclusion of Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield has further fuelled speculation that an exit is on the cards.

Earlier this week, an update from our sources revealed that Salah has made it crystal clear to his agent, ahead of critical talks, that he does not want to spend life on the Liverpool bench, where the player has found himself in three of the club’s last four games.

And claims from a transfer journalist that Salah has a ‘gentleman’s agreement to leave’ Anfield have only poured more fuel on an already raging transfer fire.

Now, with his agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, meeting with high-ranking club officials to discuss his client’s future, Liverpool have made it clear they want Salah to stay.

However, as The Athletic journalist Pearce acknowledges, that does not mean his future is secured, feeling the Reds still have a big problem ahead in their efforts to convince the star to honour the two-year extension he agreed back in April.

Mohamed Salah does not want to be a Liverpool substitute

Now Pearce has confirmed exactly what our transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey had been told earlier this week: that Slot’s continuation of picking Salah as a Liverpool substitute will only serve to drive him out.

Speaking on the Walk On podcast, Pearce said: “Well, Arne Slot insisted after Salah’s game that his phrase was that there is no issue to resolve and that it’s now just back to being business as usual. I think I’m not quite kind of along with that.

“I think my understanding is that there’s going to be more discussions between Liverpool Sporting Director Richard Hughes and Rami Abbas, Salah’s representative, over the coming days and weeks to try and, you know, to thrash out what the future is going to look like once Mo returns from AFCON because despite the kind of truce being called, with him being back in the squad and performing well for Liverpool on Saturday, it doesn’t change the fact that there’s an issue there.

“That Salah can’t handle and doesn’t want to deal with being a substitute because he thinks he should be starting games, and Slot doesn’t currently regard Salah as part of his best team.”

On claims that Salah has a gentleman’s agreement to leave Anfield, transfer journalist Steve Kay stated: “Personally, at this stage, from what I’m hearing, I don’t think he will [leave in January].

“Things seem to have calmed down a bit. As I’ve said, we’re waiting to see, but I’m told there was a gentleman’s agreement that he could leave.

“He wanted a three-year contract with the option to leave after a year, but Liverpool said no – you can have two years and leave after one. That was the compromise.

“When Salah came out and suggested someone wanted him out of the club, I think that went a bit over the top. It wasn’t that they wanted him out; it was that they didn’t want to give him the contract he wanted.

“And I understand that. Three years is too much, because you end up paying him to leave after a year, and then paying him off on top of that. So I get it completely.”

As to where Salah could end up next, Bailey has revealed that the player’s representative had been flooded with offers from sides in six different leagues in the wake of his explosive comments following their 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

However, what is also evidently clear to sources is that Salah has only one destination in mind: Saudi Arabia.

And sources understand that it is not just the ludicrous financial terms on offer – a deal worth in excess of £1million (€1.14m, $1.34m) a week has been mooted – but also the project on offer which would see the player made an ambassador for the country, as well as offering him a chance to own a stake in one of their clubs.

Latest Liverpool news: Guehi meeting FSG truths; best player discussing new deal

Meanwhile, reports that Marc Guehi’s agent has met with Liverpool this week to discuss a transfer to Anfield can be dismissed, with the player more than happy to wait for his next move and with sources naming the 13 clubs currently in the mix for the Crystal Palace star’s signature.

Elsewhere, two reliable Liverpool reporters have strongly hinted at who will succeed Virgil van Dijk as captain when the time comes, and the Reds are working feverishly to secure a new deal for the player in question, accompanied by a well-deserved pay rise.

The 2025/26 season has been a memorable one for the Reds so far, though probably not for the right reasons. Now, off the back of Liverpool’s inconsistencies so far, Slot has been told his side is still four players away from having a team strong enough to compete for Premier League glory, despite their lavish summer spending.