According to Graeme Souness, Mohamed Salah has already decided to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
The striker had previously fuelled speculation about his future following the Reds’ 3-0 win over Manchester United, suggesting that this would be his last season at Anfield.
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Salah enjoyed a great Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, providing two assists for Luis Diaz in the first half before securing the three points with a goal of his own in the 56th minute.
However, it was his post-match comments that caused the most excitement, as he appeared to hint that he would leave the club when his current contract expires next summer.
In a subsequent interview with Sky Sports, the 32-year-old said: “I had a good summer, I had a lot of time to work on myself and think positively because, as you know, this is my last year at the club.”
“I just want to enjoy it and not think about it. I feel free to play football and we’ll see what happens next year.”
“When I came to the game I thought, ‘Look, this could be the last time.’ No one at the club had spoken to me about contracts, so I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll play my last season and then see how the season turns out.'”
Salah’s unexpected revelation came as a shock to many, but led pundits to speculate whether the Egyptian meant it literally when he stated that this was merely the final year of his current contract.
But former Reds captain Souness believes his choice of words was not a mistake, suggesting Salah has probably already made up his mind about his future away from the club when his contract expires.
Speaking on The Pitch Prospect with Jim White and Simon Jordan, he said: “I think he’s made up his mind. I think he’s got something up his sleeve.”
He continued: “Yeah, when you look at it, I think that didn’t come across the way he wanted it to because I think he was trying to recover from that even further in the interview on Sky yesterday.”
Souness then speculated about Salah’s motivation to move elsewhere, with Saudi Arabia being a likely destination.
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He continued: “You know, you have to consider his family as well. His wife may want to go to Saudi Arabia. He may want to go back to an Arabic-speaking country with his children.
“These are things we cannot answer.”
And although Jordan admitted that he too expects Salah to leave at the end of the season, he seemed to question his claim that there had been no talks at the club about a new contract.
He said: “I mean, ultimately I assume his representative had conversations. Whether he had a direct conversation is another matter. And people can play with words.”
“I always assumed he would go to Saudi Arabia.”
Jordan also pointed out that due to Salah’s age, Liverpool will have to prepare to be without their talisman in the near future, regardless of when he ultimately decides to move.
He added: “I look at it and say that at some point Liverpool will move on after Salah.
“Whether it is this year or another year, Liverpool will continue to develop as a football club and continue to be successful.
Meanwhile, Souness discussed other possible destinations for the attacker should he leave Merseyside next summer, hinting at a potentially sensational move for the star.
He reflected: “It would be almost impossible that he would not have received offers from the big players in Saudi Arabia.
“Would Real Madrid take him for a few years?
“I mean, that’s not an area where they need to strengthen. But I mean, he was so good in his time at Liverpool. Anyone would take him.”
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