Why Liverpool ‘can’t sell Mohamed Salah’ as Alexander Isak is a bigger ‘worry’ for Reds fans | OneFootball

Former Premier League striker Charlie Austrin reckons it “might not work out” for Alexander Isak at Liverpool as the Reds “can’t sell” Mohamed Salah.

It was all smiles again at Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 with Salah coming off the bench to grab an assist for one of Hugo Ekitike’s two goals.

The last week had been testing for the Liverpool management with Salah criticising the club last weekend for “throwing him under the bus” after starting three consecutive matches on the bench.

That led to Salah missing their trip to Inter Milan but, after a meeting on Friday with Arne Slot, Salah was added to their squad to face Brighton.

The Egypt international got an early opportunity to impress as he came on for the injured Joe Gomez on 26 minutes and now ex-QPR striker Austin insists Liverpool “can’t sell Salah” in January.

“I wish this had happened in April, and then, they would have sold him in the summer, but right now, no chance.

“He’s too important.”

When asked what happens if Liverpool go on a great run while Salah is at AFCON, Austinr replied: “I think he takes it on again. You can’t just move him on.”

Isak, who has contributed two goals and one assist in 15 appearances in all competitions this season, once again offered very little as he climbed off the bench to replace Ekitike in the win over Brighton.

Austin added: “My worry as a Liverpool fan is what is happening with Isak is what happened with Torres when he went to Chelsea.

“I think it might not work out. I don’t think it will work out.”

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen thought Salah “did quite well” against the Seagulls and hopes it won’t be the last time he’s seen in a Reds shirt.

Owen told Premier League Productions: “He did fine. He did quite well.

“He was quite unselfish at times. He certainly put in a shift, he was running a lot more than in previous games. He would have been desperate to get on the score sheet of course, but he did okay.

“I suppose he knocked a corner in for the goal. A good day’s work. Listen, when you win 2-0, the world looks rosy no matter what.

“I think everybody at Liverpool will be pleased that he’s back in the fray. They’ve won the game, clean sheet and service has resumed in many ways.”

Owen added: “There was a little bit of a question mark whether he was going to get that real good reception from the fans because a lot of people were taking the side of Arne Slot.

“Not that he was against him, it wasn’t a duel, but it was Mo Salah against the club in many ways, wasn’t it? And they were obviously taking the side of the club.

“I thought there might be a few jeers, a few boos, but there was none of it today and he’ll be delighted with that as well. All that he’s done for the club, it would be awful to finish his career at Liverpool getting booed off, but that never happened.

“And hopefully that was, ‘I’ll see you in a month or so because I’m off to represent my country’, and normal service has resumed. Hopefully, it’s not a, ‘goodbye, I’m going and I’m going for good’.”