Mohamed Salah plunges Liverpool future into doubt by saying Arne Slot relationship has broken down ahead of transfer window

In an explosive interview, Mohamed Salah has plunged his Liverpool future into doubt and suggested next Saturday's game against Brighton could be his last for the club.

The Liverpool star claimed after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds that "the club has thrown me under the bus", adding his relationship with Arne Slot had broken down and that "someone doesn't want me in the club".

Salah told journalists he was in disbelief he had been left on the bench for the third game running and Slot did not see fit to bring him on at Elland Road as the champions twice blew a lead.

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"I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," said Salah, who signed a new deal at Anfield at the end of last season. "Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why.

"It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

"I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games so I can't say they keep the promise.

"I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."

Asked if his relationship with Slot had broken down, he said: "Yeah, there's no relationship between us. It was a very good relationship and now all of a sudden there is no relationship."

Salah goes to AFCON with Egypt on December 15 with the Brighton game at Anfield next Saturday his final game for Liverpool before the tournament.

The 33-year-old, who has been linked with a January move to the Saudi Pro League, has raised doubts over whether he will play for the club again after the tournament.

"I said to [my family], come to the Brighton game. I don't know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I'm going to enjoy that game because I don't know what is going to happen now.

"I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa cup. I don't know what is going to happen when I am there."

Asked if it could be his final game for Liverpool, Salah said: "In football you never know. I don't accept this situation. I have done so much for this club."

Full transcript of Salah's bombshell interview

What were you thinking sat on the bench?

"I don't know what to say. It's funny but I couldn't believe it. It is a really disappointing result for us as a team because we expect to win a game like that.

"We managed to score two goals in the beginning and the game was going in our direction but we conceded silly goals.

It's not only [about] us, it is also the team we face. In the last games I saw of them, they made it hard for [Man] City in the second half. I saw the same against Chelsea.

"We try to adapt as best as we can to their strength and hopefully we can hurt them."

What couldn't you believe?

"That I'm sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I'm very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.

"Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

"I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games so I can't say they keep the promise.
I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club.

"This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much I will always do. I called my mum yesterday - you guys didn't know if I would start or not, but I knew. Yesterday I said to them, come to the Brighton game. I don't know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it.

"In my head, I'm going to enjoy that game because I don't know what is going to happen now. I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa cup. I don't know what is going to happen when I am there."

What do you do with the situation now?

"It is not acceptable for me. I don't know why this is happening to me. I don't get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player.

"How I see it now is like you throw Mo under the bus because he is the problem in the team now. But I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club.

"The respect, I want to get. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. It's football. It is what it is."

Could it be your last game for Liverpool?

"In football you never know. I don't accept this situation. I have done so much for this club.

"With respect, I love everyone. I love [Erling] Haaland, I will talk about him. I am the current top goalscorer in the Premier League. He is not yet. He is going to win it hopefully and that is fine for him. I love him and he knows that.

"I am top goalscorer, best player, winning the league in such a style, but I am the one who has to defend himself in front of the media and fans."

Does this hurt you more?

"Absolutely. After what I have done for the club it really hurts. You can imagine, really. After going from home to the club and you don't know if you are starting. I know the club too well, I have been here many years. Tomorrow [Jamie] Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that's fine."

Saudi still on the table?

"I don't want to answer this question, because the club is going to take me to a different direction."

Situation impossible now to solve?

"I cannot say it is impossible, but from what I feel, I have done so much for the club, I love the fans and the club so much, but I don't know what is going to happen next."

Doubly frustrating that you didn't even come on?

"Can you answer that? I have been at this club, scoring more than anyone in this generation, since I came to the Premier League, I don't think anyone has scored more goals and made more assists than me. In the whole Premier League. If I am somewhere else, everybody would go to the media and defend the players. I am the only one in this situation.

"Can I give an example? Its silly but I am sorry. I remember a while go, Harry Kane was not scoring for 10 games, everyone in the media was like 'oh, Harry will score for sure, when it comes to Mo everyone is like 'he needs to be on the bench'. I am sorry Harry!"

When you say about someone wanting you out, who?

"I don't know. I don't know. I really don't know."

Sporting director?

"No, no, don't put the words in my mouth. From the situation I see that's it."

Had anyone sort of communicated and explain the situation to you? Have you actually asked for that?

"I did. I did, but I don't see an explanation.

"Like I knew yesterday that I was not going to play and that's it, so take it and swallow it and go home."

Were you told personally you weren't going to be playing by Arne?

"Yeah, he told me yesterday and had a meeting with him."

Did you let your feelings be known then, you were disappointed?

"He knows my feeling. He knows my feeling."

Regret signing that contract?

"Imagine how bad that I have to answer it, honestly.

"That hurts, even the question hurts. This club, signing for this club, I will never regret it.

"I thought I'm going to renew here and end my career here, but this is not according to the plan, so I'm not regretting signing for the club for sure."

You're one of the greatest players in Liverpool's history. Can you believe it might end like this?

"Somehow it will end but the thing in my head is like why it should end this way? Because I am too fit, just five months ago I was just winning every individual award so why should it go this direction?

"I'm sorry everybody in a team is not in his form yet I'm the one has has to defend himself now."

Now is the next step for you to speak Arne again?

"No, I don't think so. We spoke a lot."

Has the relationship broken down?

"Yeah, there's no relationship between us. It was very good relationship and now all of a sudden there is no relationship."

Something changed behind the scenes?

"You guys know better than me. I don't know."

Do you feel let down from the team mates as well?

"No, no, no, these guys, they know how much I love them. They know how much I support them, even inside before the game, after the game.

"I'm an experienced player, I've been in their position. I always support them, I always give them experience. But no, no, the players they're not connected to the situation at.

"Even they support me so much so there's just much love between us as players and respect."

What Slot said about Salah benching

Slot said he had chosen to leave Salah on the bench for a third game running because he wanted to adapt to make sure his team could cope with Leeds' strengths.

"It is never an easy decision because we know what a great player he is. It is up to me to pick the team I think we need today, that is why I made the decision."

He added: It's not only [about] us, it is also the team we face. In the last games I saw of them, they made it hard for City in the second half. I saw the same against Chelsea.

"We try to adapt as best as we can to their strength and hopefully we can hurt them."

Asked what the future held for Salah after he chose to leave him on the bench as an unused substitute, Slot added: "We have to accept the situation we are in and I make my decisions based on that.

"The short-term future of Mo is that he goes to AFCON in a week but before that we play Inter and Brighton."

Where could Salah go next?

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:

"Salah is still a Liverpool player, he signed a new two-year contract. Apparently he earns around £400,000 a week. He's 33 years old, what options does he have? Who can afford to sign him? Who can afford to pay him those kinds of wages?

"Liverpool would be able to let him blow it out, get it off his chest. If they feel they need to fine him, perhaps that's something they'll do. But in reality this doesn't change that much.

"He's said he's unhappy, so any club interested in signing him will know that they can probably get him on the cheap. They'll ask him to take a wage cut - is he willing to do that?

"Everybody talks about Saudi Arabia. Yes the Saudi Pro League want him. He's a priority signing. They'd love for him to play in Saudi Arabia.

"But it's going to be a very complicated deal to do and it's not something that's just going to happen in a matter of days, especially considering Salah is going to the Africa Cup of Nations.

"I can see him playing in Saudi Arabia at some point but it's not going to happen in a matter of days."

Where do Salah and Slot go from here?

Sky Sports' Zinny Boswell:

If the situation seemed bad at full-time, it is surely now in a state of near disrepair. Slot made a statement by leaving Salah on the bench for the third game in a row, choosing to let him watch the entire game from the sideline.

Salah, who has been criticised by Jamie Carragher for only speaking in the media when it suits him, felt he had little choice but to respond, delivering a bombshell interview in the mixed zone at Elland Road that has plunged his future into doubt.

Slot was already under increasing external pressure after failing to win the seven points against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds United that Carragher said he needed to save his job. Salah's intervention can only make life harder for the Dutchman.

The revelation, in such a public manner, that Salah's relationship with Slot has broken down suggests Liverpool are approaching a crossroads. How do they both continue now? You never know in football, but seismic change, it seems, is afoot at Anfield.

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