Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the current season. This obviously sent shockwaves among the footballing world. He will be soarly be missed by both fans and the community.
The Egyptian forward - who will go down as one of Liverpool's greatest ever players - will depart at the end of the season; after nine stellar years at the club.
While he hasn’t spelled out a reason for his departure, Salah said earlier in the season that his relationship with Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, was nonexistent.
The fan favourite accused the club of making him a scapegoat for the English champions’ poor start to the Premier League season and claimed he was "thrown under the bus" after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds in December. "I don’t know why, but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me in the club," Salah had said at Elland Road.
While the news may have come as a shock to his fans; British media have been speculating about a summer transfer for Salah for some time.
It was very much a joint decision between Liverpool, Salah and the player's representatives. This feels like a situation that suits everybody.
What you've got now is both parties very clear on the summer ahead. Salah knows that he's in the market for a new club. Liverpool know that they're in the market to find a new attacking forward.
The money Liverpool had ringfenced for his wages for the forthcoming season will now be available for them to spend on a new player.
Any potential transfer fee that Liverpool would've gained by selling Salah, the player now knows that that fee will come to him as part of his package. That suits Salah because it gives him a greater ability to engineer the right deal for himself moving forward.
Also, this being announced so soon gives Liverpool, the club and the fans the opportunity to show their appreciation between now and the end of the season - and give him the send off he deserves as one of Liverpool's greatest ever.
On top of that, Liverpool could still end up finishing this season with two trophies (Champions League and FA Cup). There's a good chance that Salah will play a part in winning either of those if they do go on to win them.
Everyone knows between now and the end of the season, it's the Mo Salah farewell tour.
Slot's future will have no bearing on the Salah situation. Liverpool have a long-term contract with Slot and right now they'll be focusing on finishing the season by trying to win two more trophies.
If Liverpool go and win the FA Cup and Champions League, you'd imagine Slot would be going nowhere. Right now, Liverpool aren't thinking about what will happen in the summer.
Rami Abbas - Salah's agent - has made it very clear: they don't know what's going to happen, so no one else can know for sure. But there are lots of options.
Everyone will immediately point towards Saudi Arabia. There are four sides in the Saudi Pro League that are under the guise of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), who have tried to sign Salah before.
Some of those PIF teams already have big superstars. Some of them don't. But it would certainly be the four PIF-owned franchises in Saudi that would be at the front of the list.
You would see him fitting into Al Ittihad more than anywhere else. They're having a bad season but are reigning champions.
They lost their star player, Karim Benzema, who moved to Al Hilal in January. They need a star name and have tried to sign Salah in the past. In 2023, they made a verbal offer of £150m which was rejected. You would think they are favourites.
Cristiano Ronaldo has complained that Al Nassr haven't been active in the transfer market. Does he want another superstar alongside him there? Al Hilal and Al Ahli are the two other Saudi PIF-led clubs.
Major League Soccer in the United States is another huge opportunity for Salah. Antoine Griezmann will move over there this summer and, after the impact Lionel Messi had in the United States, there are clubs there that would love to have someone of Salah's calibre.
The Saudi clubs would be at the front of the list and that's where everyone would expect him to go. The Saudi offer will never disappear; so he might want to explore another opportunity and then visit Saudi later on in his career.
There will be a number of La Liga (Spain) clubs and there will be a number of Serie A (Italy) clubs that will be looking at Salah.
Salah said in a video on his social channels: "Hello everyone, unfortunately the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
"I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life.
"Liverpool is not just a football club, it's a passion, it's a history, it's a spirit. I can't explain in words to anyone not part of this club.
"We celebrated victory, we won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life.
"I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the teammates past and present.
"And to the fans, I don't have enough words. The support you showed me through the best time of my career and you stood by me in the toughest times. It's something I will never forget and something I will take with me always.
"Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will be always one of you.
"This club will always be my home to me and to my family.
"Thank you for everything.
"Because of all of you, I will never walk alone."
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) - who Liverpool face in the Champions League quarter-finals - are a maybe, but signing a huge star goes away from what has brought them success in the last 12 months.
They used to buy the best players they possibly could. Now, they've realised that actually the Parisian home-grown, younger players bring a better team spirit than having individuals and superstars.
A series of conversations will be held across Europe, across the big clubs, about whether they could afford Salah and whether he would be the right fit for their club.
It's up to Salah on whether Europe is an option. If he wants to go and play for PSG and he's happy to play for £200 000-a-week, then so be it. If he wants £1m-a-week, then that limits his options. It's just about what's right for him and his family.
It's worth remembering that Salah was a free transfer last summer. Everyone knew until April last season that he was available for nothing - and he chose to stay at Liverpool.
Former Liverpool defender and football columnist, Jamie Carragher, said Salah is among the greatest players to have ever donned a Liverpool jersey. "In an all-time Premier League XI, Salah is an automatic inclusion in the front three alongside [Thierry] Henry and [Cristiano] Ronaldo."
Gary Neville has suggested that Arne Slot is set to come under more pressure for his job at Liverpool following Mohamed Salah’s announcement that he will be leaving the club.
The decision comes after speculation has followed Salah over his future for the past few months amid what has been a difficult season for the Egyptian, and given his outburst against the club back in December after being dropped.
His announcement comes as Slot comes under increased pressure over his job, with Liverpool continuing to struggle in its efforts to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
The Reds were booed after the recent draw with Tottenham and they look as though they will have to rely on the Premier League earning another spot at Europe’s top table, given they sit five points off fourth-placed Aston Villa with just seven games remaining.
What’s more, speculation is increasing over the prospect of Xabi Alonso replacing Slot, although Liverpool is thought to still be backing the Dutchman. Nevertheless, former Manchester United captain Neville has questioned what impact Salah’s impending departure will have on his head coach.
"I suspect Liverpool and Arne Slot are in a position whereby Mo Salah’s said, 'Look, I'd like to announce it,'" Neville said on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast.
“They’re in the very difficult position of, if we say no and announce it at the end of the season, they’re going to p— him off and he’s going to be walking round unhappy. For Liverpool, is it the right time now?"
"And for Arne Slot, what does it do for him? He’s the guy at the moment that is under pressure."
Liverpool's players have addressed Mohamed Salah's bombshell announcement that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
He delivered the news directly to supporters in an Instagram post, speaking to his fans amid clips of his cherished Liverpool moments before a host of his team-mates rushed to the comments.
Ryan Gravenberch posted a simple but deeply felt tribute to the Egyptian star in the comments of his teammate's farewell message, the word "Legend" accompanied by a heart emoji.
Virgil van Dijk added a love heart and clapping emoji before Andy Robertson added: "The greatest." Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliott also responded with tributes to the Egyptian star.
Liverpool confirmed the news in their own statement, which hinted at a fuller send-off to come later in the year. "Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool Football Club at the end of the 2025-26 season," the club said. "The time to fully celebrate his legacy and achievements will follow later in the year when he bids farewell to Anfield."
The announcement ends a saga that has dragged on across multiple transfer windows. Salah had signed a new two-year deal just before the end of last season, but will not see out the remaining year of that contract.
Salah has broken several records:
Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has created the most chances in open play in the Premier League (534).
The forward has appeared on 435 occasions for the Reds across all competitions, ranking him 23rd overall in club history.
His total goal contributions of 281 in the Premier League for Liverpool (189 goals, 92 assists) is the most any player has for one club in the division’s history.
Salah’s haul of 255 goals for Liverpool in all competitions is the third-highest total in the club’s history, behind only Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285).
In September 2021, he reached the milestone of 100 league goals for the Reds in just 151 games, a club record.
Salah has averaged a goal for every 138 minutes of play for Liverpool; his current total of 255 coming from 35 326 minutes.
Alongside prolific goalscoring, he has also been a consistent creator, notching 119 assists for teammates to date.
Salah has the joint-third-most European appearances for the Reds, alongside Sami Hyypia (94). Only Steven Gerrard (130) and Jamie Carragher (150) have made more.
Of Salah’s catalogue of assists, 92 have been served in the Premier League, which no other Liverpool player can better. Gerrard is also on 92.
Salah holds the record for the club’s quickest goal scored in a European Cup match, having netted after 55 seconds against Danish side, FC Midtjylland, in December 2020.
No one in Reds history has scored more than the Egypt international in European fixtures (53), with 48 of those coming in the Champions League
In the 2024-25 season, he racked up the most goal involvements by a player in a 38-game Premier League season (47); with 29 goals and 18 assists
Salah has successfully converted 46 penalties for the club from 55 attempts. In history, only Gerrard has scored more (47)
In his debut campaign at Anfield, 2017-18, the No.11 delivered the second-most goals from a player in a single season in Reds’ history (44). Only Rush (47 in 1983-84) has ever netted more in one term for Liverpool
Salah holds the Premier League record for the most games in which a player has registered both a goal and an assist (42).
Salah’s favourite opponent has been Manchester United, with 16 goals scored against them so far, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur (14).
Salah’s Anfield career has included eight major trophies: two Premier League titles; one Champions League; one FA Cup; two League Cups; the FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup.
He has been named Premier League Player of the Month on seven occasions (November 2017; February 2018; March 2018; October 2021; October 2023; November 2024 and February 2025), a record figure shared with Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane.
6 minutes, 12 seconds – that is the record Salah holds for the quickest hat-trick during a Champions League game, coming at Rangers (Scotland) in October 2022.
Salah has reached the 30-goal mark in a season five times while at the club: 44 in 2017-18; 31 in 2020-21 and 2021-22; 30 in 2022-23 and 34 in 2024-25.
The Egyptian has claimed the Premier League’s Golden Boot on four occasions: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22 and 2024-25. He holds the record with Thierry Henry.
There have also been four inclusions in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for Salah: in 2017-18; 2020-21; 2021-22 and 2024-25.
He has been voted the PFA Players’ Player of the Year three times during his spell with Liverpool, with victory in 2017-18 followed by successes in 2021-22 and 2024-25. He was the first to take the accolade three times.
Salah has also been selected as the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year on three occasions (2018, 2022 and 2025).
in October 2021, Salah became the first visiting player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick at Old Trafford
He was a FIFA Puskas Award (best goal scored) winner in 2018 for his superb strike in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in December 20171 – he was a FIFA Puskas Award winner in 2018 for his superb strike in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in December 2017.
Speaking to a Liverpool fan, he is happy for Salah. He's been a great servant and agrees with everyone else that he will go down as a club hero and legend.
He is also under the belief that he's partly to blame for the way Liverpool have been performing this season. The sooner he leaves, the better Liverpool will play.
According to him, there will be no 'mourning' period for the club. As soon as the 2026-27 season begins, the club will start playing the way they did in previous seasons. This season will be a mere blip in the recent history of the club.
Finally, he's probably one of the few who believe that he should've been sold last summer. This would've allowed the club to buy someone to replace him.
Salah arrived at Liverpool from Roma in 2017 for £36.9 million ($50M), a club record at the time, and proceeded to rewrite the record books at Anfield.
As a Man United fan, I'm thrilled that he's leaving. That's one less threat for the club. His performances have somewhat diminished. it looks as though he's been preparing for this for some time.
I sort of agree with the fan. Salah's lack of productivity has affected the club severely. He should've been sold last season. It's best to make some money through a sale rather losing him/her for free.
I do, however, disagree with the loss the club will have. He has been a vital piece of the success that they've achieved. It can be hard to lose such a piece and expect immediate success. That 'mourning' period will occur and, unfortunately, the timeline of getting over it is unknown.
As for his next move, I suspect that he will go to Saudi Arabia. He will most likely demand a high salary and the Saudi clubs will be the only ones available to fulfill that demand; among other demands.