Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has revealed speaking to Mohamed Salah when the superstar forward accused the club of throwing him under the bus, warning him not to leave “under a cloud.”
Salah’s Liverpool exit has been confirmed for the end of the season, at the halfway point of a new two-year contract he signed 12 months ago.
But after explosive comments made to reporters in early December sparked by frustration at being benched, it was briefly feasible the Egypt international could have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations and secured a transfer in January, consequently never playing for Liverpool again.
A guest on Stick to Football, Gerrard said he thinks Salah will eventually come to “regret” that moment. “That told me that there was an issue. Going back before that, I think Liverpool as a club probably only wanted to give Mo Salah [a contract for] one year rather than the two.
“It’s in everyone’s interests for it to end, but also on Mo Salah’s terms. I spoke to him around that interview [in December] and said to him, ‘Look, don’t do what you’ve done and go under a cloud.’”
Arne Slot, who took the brunt of Salah’s public outburst, managed the situation admirably and was quick to insist it was water under the bridge—for the good of the club in the second half of the season. It means Salah will have the opportunity to bid a lengthy farewell.
Liverpool Fans ‘Have to Accept’ Salah Exit
Former Liverpool defender Škrtel has paid tribute to Salah’s impact over the past nine years. They never played in the same team, with the Slovakian leaving 12 months before Salah joined from Roma in 2017, but that doesn’t prevent him appreciating “one of the best players in Liverpool history.”
Škrtel told The Football Historian after a recent Legends match: “Obviously he decided to leave and we have to accept it, we wish him all the best for the future, but obviously we’ll be missing him.
“But that’s football, players leaving and new ones coming, but definitely Mo leaves a legacy behind him and I’m just happy that he was wearing our shirt. I just wish him good luck for the future.”
Gerrard Warns Salah About Potential Next Move
There is currently no decision on what comes next for Salah. Bayern Munich have already distanced themselves from rumors of an approach, while a similar move to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, or indeed any other leading European club, appears to make little sense.
Salah appears destined for Major League Soccer or the Saudi Pro League and stands to be paid handsomely in either competition. But Gerrard, who briefly played for LA Galaxy after leaving Liverpool in 2015 and later managed Al Ettifaq, hasn’t given a ringing endorsement of the quality.
“[Saudi Arabia] want [Cristiano] Ronaldo around for elite standards and they want people playing with him, playing against him, and those types of players they believe will bring their own up,” he continued.
“[It’s] difficult to gauge the middle and the bottom of that league but the top I would say probably lower Premier League, top Championship [standard]. I think the top four teams would comfortably be better than the MLS teams. [Al Ettifaq] had friendlies against some of the MLS teams, and we were very comfortable against them, and we weren’t a top team.”
READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
- Transfer News, Rumors: Haaland’s Barcelona Demand; Real Madrid Receive Fernandez Boost
- Five Potential Destinations for Real Madrid Star Eduardo Camavinga—Ranked
- ‘Really Dire’—Steven Gerrard Offers Arne Slot Sack Verdict
- Liverpool Midfielder Makes Devastating Admission Following Injury Setback
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘He’ll Regret it’—Steven Gerrard Admits Warning Mohamed Salah Over Liverpool Exit.
