Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah could leave in the January transfer window if Antoine Semenyo arrives at Anfield from Bournemouth, according to reports.
The Reds have been back in form over the last week, with Arne Slot’s men beating Inter Milan in the Champions League, followed by a 2-0 win over Brighton in the Premier League last week.
It has been a testing period for Liverpool, which has seen them win just six of their last 17 matches in all competitions, including the added complication of Salah’s dissatisfaction in recent weeks.
After being put on the bench for three consecutive games, Salah claimed he’d been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool following the Reds’ 3-3 draw against Leeds United earlier this month, insisting he no longer has a relationship with Slot.
The Liverpool hierarchy and Slot made a joint decision to leave him out of the squad for the match against Inter, but later reintegrated him for the win over Brighton after peace talks.
Salah’s future is uncertain, with clubs from the Saudi Pro League circling ahead of the January transfer window, alongside rumors of interest from European clubs.
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Now, Football Transfers claims that Semenyo will be ‘critical in shaping the attacker’s immediate future,’ despite Slot downplaying the rift with Salah on Friday.
Slot stated in a press conference: “We moved on. He was in the squad and was the first substitution I made [against Brighton]. Now he’s got AFCON and will play in some big games, so it’s only fair that all focus is on them.”
The report adds, ‘Sources have revealed that Salah learned of contact between the Reds and in-form Bournemouth winger Semenyo, which was central to his comment insinuating that “someone wanted me out.”
‘The individual that Salah was referring to was primarily Liverpool’s sporting director, Michael Edwards.’
It is understood that ‘the Salah situation could also change if Liverpool were forced to sign Semenyo in January rather than their preferred summer transfer, which would also be Bournemouth’s ideal time to sell.
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Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Salah’s future earlier this week, stating on his YouTube channel: “Many of you are asking what’s next now with Mohamed Salah. Mo is traveling for AFCON, so he will be unavailable for the next few weeks for Liverpool.
“What’s going to happen is that Mo Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas, will be in England to have conversations with Liverpool management to discuss Mo’s situation.
“After Mo was out of the squad against Brentford, and upon his return against Brighton, where he entered in the first half and delivered an assist while breaking another record and showcasing his quality once again, it’s now time for Mo Salah and his agent to talk to the club and decide what’s next.
“Again, Liverpool believes: ‘We are not in a hurry to sell Salah, nor to find a solution for Salah. If he wants to stay under these conditions, we are more than happy.’
“If he wants to go, Liverpool states: ‘Okay, bring a proposal to the table, show us what you have for us.’
“But at the moment, no official proposals have arrived on Liverpool’s table for Salah, apart from Saudi interest. This is why there will be a meeting with his agent to understand how to proceed in the coming weeks.”
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