why is salah leaving liverpool
Liverpool and Mohamed Salah have mutually agreed that he will leave at the end of the 2025/26 season, mainly because of a breakdown in relations, a dip in form, and the clubâs need to refresh the squad while he explores one last big move in his career.
Why Is Salah Leaving Liverpool?
Official story: mutual agreement and timing
- Liverpool have confirmed that Salah will leave at the end of the 2025/26 season , a year before his contract was due to expire, describing it as a âreached agreementâ between club and player.
- He signed a new twoâyear extension just last April, which makes the early exit feel sudden and signals that something changed quickly behind the scenes.
- Publicly, the club are stressing that the focus is on finishing the season well and then celebrating his legacy, which suggests they want a clean, respectful separation.
In simple terms: this isnât a forced sale midâseason, but a controlled, planned goodbye after tensions that built up over the last year.
What actually changed: dip in form and role
- After being the star of Liverpoolâs title charge, Salahâs form dropped this season , and he was even dropped for three straight games late last year.
- Being benched repeatedly was a huge shift for a player used to being untouchable, and it fed into the feeling that the club no longer saw him as the automatic main man.
- At 33, Liverpool also have to think about the next cycle of the team, wages, and resale value, so a free exit now still saves them a massive wage bill and opens space for new signings.
Broken relationship with club and coach
This is the emotional core of âwhy is Salah leaving Liverpoolâ.
- Public criticism and feeling scapegoated
- In December, Salah gave an explosive interview saying he had been âthrown under the busâ by the club and made a scapegoat for poor results.
* He was benched for three league games in a row and left unused in a 3â3 draw with Leeds, which he clearly saw as disrespectful after everything he had done for the team.
- Breakdown with Arne Slot
- Reports described his relationship with manager Arne Slot as âcompletely brokenâ, with Salah feeling unfairly blamed while the team struggled.
* Slot publicly framed decisions as tactical, saying the team didnât âneed another goalâ in certain matches, but that only fed the narrative that Salah was being sidelined.
- From âclub symbolâ to âproblem to solveâ
- Less than a year ago, his renewal was sold as a symbol of stability under Slot; by winter, he hinted his time at Anfield might be over and openly admitted he couldnât accept the situation.
* That shiftâfrom centerpiece to lightning rodâmade a longâterm stay almost impossible.
Salahâs side: why heâs ready to go
From Salahâs perspective, several factors push him toward the exit:
- Respect and status : He feels he has given too much to accept being benched and blamed when the team dips.
- Last big move at 33 : Reports say a summer departure has looked âincreasingly likely,â with this viewed as his last big contract window.
- Fresh challenge : After nine years, 250+ goals, and multiple major trophies, the idea of ending on his own terms and trying a new league is naturally attractive.
You can almost hear the internal monologue:
âIâve carried this team for years. If Iâm going to be rotated and questioned anyway, I might as well do it somewhere new, for one last big chapter.â
Where could he go next?
Nothing is signed yet, but the direction of travel is clear.
- Saudi Pro League : Strong, ongoing links suggest Saudi clubs are ready with huge offers, and this has been floated for over a year.
- MLS : Recent reports say MLS is also a âpossible optionâ for Salah this summer, which would suit a more globalâbrand, lifestyle move while still being competitive.
- Either way, he is likely to leave on a free and choose the project and wage package that fits his final prime years best.
What this means for Liverpool
- They lose a club legend and one of the best players in their modern era, which is a huge emotional and sporting blow.
- However, freeing up his massive salary and planning ahead allows them to sign at least one, maybe two topâlevel wingers in the summer.
- The club has already been advised on potential replacements and is clearly building a postâSalah attack.
A simple way to think of it:
- Salah wants respect, a guaranteed big role, and a final big move.
- Liverpool want to refresh the squad, manage wages, and avoid endless drama around a declining but still elite star.
- The âmutual agreementâ is the compromise that lets each side get what they need.
Mini forumâstyle view
âHeâs not leaving just because of money. You can see he checked out the moment they benched him three games in a row and blamed him for everything.â
âLiverpool had to make a hard call. Heâs 33, on huge wages, and they need to rebuild the front line before itâs too late.â
âEnd of an era. You donât replace Salah, you just try to survive the transition.â
TL;DR
Salah is leaving Liverpool because the relationship cracked after he was benched and felt scapegoated, his form and role declined, and both sides realized this summer is the cleanest possible moment for him to take a final big move while Liverpool refresh their attack.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.