When Mohamed Salah signed for Liverpool from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, few would have predicted just how seismic that transfer would prove to be. Nine years later, after 378 appearances, 228 goals, two Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Club World Cup, the Egyptian has walked away from Anfield for the final time. The mutual termination of his contract, confirmed in late May 2026, draws a close to the most decorated individual chapter in modern Liverpool history.
How the relationship with Slot unravelled
Salah's exit did not come as a complete shock. Tensions between the 33-year-old forward and Arne Slot had been simmering for the better part of the 2025-26 season, with the Egyptian publicly admitting that his relationship with the Dutch manager was "nonexistent." For a player who had thrived under Jurgen Klopp's energy and warmth, the more analytical and detached Slot appeared to represent an uncomfortable change of dynamic. Playing time concerns and reported disagreements over training methods widened the rift. By March 2026, Salah delivered his own verdict on the situation in a video message on social media, calling it the "first part" of his farewell. Liverpool followed with a formal statement shortly after.
The scale of what he leaves behind
It is almost impossible to overstate Salah's contribution at Anfield. He arrived as a talented wideman who had underperformed at Chelsea years before and had rebuilt his reputation in Serie A. What followed was unlike anything the Premier League had seen. In his debut season, 2017-18, he scored 44 goals in all competitions — a record for a single Premier League campaign. He won the European Golden Shoe, the PFA Players' Player of the Year, and wrote himself into the history books of the competition. There were quieter seasons along the way, but even in those, Salah remained among the most dangerous players in England. His partnership with Firmino, Mane, and later Darwin Nunez gave Liverpool an attacking identity that European clubs feared. He leaves as the club's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League era, a figure who changed the commercial and footballing identity of the club entirely.
What happens next for Salah
At 33, the question of where Salah plays his football next carries enormous weight. Saudi Arabia's Pro League has made enquiries for years, and several clubs in the Middle East have the financial firepower to meet his wage demands. A return to Serie A — potentially to a top Italian club — has also been floated. There is even a romantic notion of a reunion with AS Roma, though that seems fanciful given the financial realities. What is clear is that Salah has no intention of winding down just yet. He remains Egypt's captain and is set to play a full part in the 2026 World Cup, which begins in the United States, Canada and Mexico on June 11. The world will be watching to see where this story goes next — because with Salah, the story is never quite finished.
Transfer context: Mohamed Salah, 33, Egyptian international. Left Liverpool FC on mutual termination, June 2026. Liverpool career: 378 apps, 228 goals, 97 assists. Honours: 2x Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, 2x League Cup, Club World Cup. Next club: unconfirmed.
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