Liverpool’s flop will be the first player FSG must bin this summer

Liverpool beat West Ham United 5-2 at Anfield on Saturday in the Premier League, but Mohamed Salah finished the game without a goal or an assist, perhaps because of his efforts.

In fact, the right winger played the full 90 minutes against the Hammers without registering a single shot on target or creating a chance for his team-mates, despite Arne Slott’s side winning comfortably.

Hugo Ekitike was in great form with one goal and two assists, while Kodi Gakpo also appeared on the scoresheet for the first time since January’s Champions League match against Marseille.

Salah has currently scored just two goals in all competitions in his last 16 appearances for the Reds, a record that stretches back to the 1-0 win over Real Madrid in early November.

Of course, the experienced forward has featured for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations during that time, but his two-goal return since the start of November is not the kind of form supporters would expect from the 33-year-old superstar.

Why Liverpool shouldn’t sell Mo Salah this summer

BBC Sport reports that the winger is “increasingly likely” to leave in the summer transfer window, but any move will depend on interested teams from MLS and Saudi Arabia paying his wage demands.

At first glance, releasing 33-year-old Salah after his poor form in front of goal may seem like the right move to make this summer, but that may not be the case.

His goalscoring output isn’t as good as it once was, with four goals in the Premier League after scoring 29 on his return last season, but he’s still a key creative figure for the slot.

The left-footed star has created the most big chances (10) and provided the most assists (six) for the Reds in the Premier League this season, with four assists in his last eight games in all competitions.

Despite his struggles as a goalscorer, Salah remains an important and influential player for the Dutch manager. That’s why the club should keep Salah in the hope that he returns to his best form as a goalscorer in the 2026-27 season.

The first player Liverpool should sell this summer

While Salah’s performance as a goalscorer has clearly declined, Liverpool have players who have performed even worse than the Egyptian this season, which is why they should be the first players to be sold this summer.

Joe Gomez started at right-back against the Hammers in his fifth start of the Premier League season, but failed to impress.

The former England international lost five of seven ground matches and two of three aerial matches in his 77 minutes on the pitch, indicating that opponents felt it was too easy to beat him.

That continued throughout the 2025/26 Premier League season. Gomez has lost a staggering 71% of his ground duels in 14 league games, giving him the worst ground duel loss rate of all defenders on the team.

The 28-year-old defender only played in nine league games last season, but won just 50% of his aerial duels in this category, which is quite overwhelming for a player whose favorite position is centre-back.

Gomez has played in bit-part roles for much of his Liverpool career, missing a whopping 211 games through injury since the 2015/16 season, but it may finally be time for a change of pace.

The former England international is rarely selected and has not performed particularly well when called up from the slot this season.

With Giovanni Leoni set to return from a knee injury later this year, the summer transfer window could be the perfect time for the club to finally part ways with Gomez, who was described as “sloppy” in possession by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this season.

With 12 months remaining on his contract, which expires in the summer of 2027, this is Liverpool’s last chance to secure a full offer for the defender, with a pre-contract deal available next January.

Gomez should be the first player to make money this summer, as unlike Salah’s creativity he hasn’t worked hard enough to compensate for the weaknesses in his game.