It’s been a strange season for Liverpool, and while it’s been a tough one, there’s a sense that whatever happens, things will brighten up once the summer break and transfer window are over.
Of course, Anfield could be plunged into a different kind of uncertainty if Arne Slott and his Redmen fail to qualify for the Champions League. Fans will no doubt be calling for the head coach to be sacked, and given Liverpool’s status as Europe’s elite, the wealth of fresh talent may be hesitant to make a permanent move.
Slott is also out of contract in just over a year, along with FSG’s head of football Michael Edwards and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, who is at the top of Al Hilal’s wish list for the project.
And the question marks don’t stop there, with Mohamed Salah’s future being talked about amidst a terrible season even by Egyptian standards.
What went wrong with Mohamed Salah?
Salah enjoyed himself with a goal and an assist against Galatasaray in midweek, reminding us of the 33-year-old’s former qualities in the danger zone.
However, he was not without his faults, missing a penalty in the first half and missing several good chances. The veteran has been largely ineffective this season, lacking in confidence and unless his form improves he won’t see the remainder of his £400,000-a-week contract (which expires in 14 months).
Of course, Salah turns 34 this summer and has provided incredible service at the front of the ship at Anfield throughout his life, but it may be time for a change.
The wastefulness is yet another stain on Salah’s role model, negating his strength as an elite forward. His athletic ability and physical metrics have declined in recent years, but he’s so prolific that it didn’t matter.
Salah’s condition in the 25/26 season | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | PL | UCL |
Match (start) | 22(19) | 9(7) |
the goal | 5 | 3 |
assist | 6 | 2 |
Number of shots (on target)* | 2.6(0.6) | 2.8(1.3) |
missed a big opportunity | 10 | 9 |
Exact path* | 21.6 (75%) | 19.1 (80%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 10 | 8 |
Key pass* | 2.0 | 2.3 |
cross* | 0.7 | 1.2 |
Successful. dribble* | 0.5 (23%) | 1.2 (38%) |
collect* | 3.0 | 2.2 |
Tackle + Interception* | 0.7 | 1.5 |
Win a duel* | 2.1 (30%) | 3.0 (40%) |
There has been significant interest from Saudi Arabia in recent years, and if Hughes does move to Al Hilal, you can bet that signing Salah will be on his agenda.
It’s probably for the best, a great move in the autumn of his career and allowing Liverpool to search for a top-class successor.
But Salah is not the only superstar who could leave the team, with another young colleague set to take on even more responsibility this season.
FSG must part ways with struggling Liverpool star
How will Liverpool get back on track? Perhaps beginners needed a little time to integrate, but now they can expect more synergistic play.
However, Ibrahima Konate is one of the most experienced players in the team and his efforts during the season left much to be desired.
The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign and, despite Hughes’ best efforts over the long term, there was little joy in the extension. Real Madrid are long-time fans, but the truth is that Konate has no shortage of suitors.
Konate performed miserably in the first-leg defeat to Galatasaray, but were incredibly lucky to avoid a costly blunder after a series of mistakes were undone by the referee’s offside decision.
The France international has been instrumental in Liverpool’s success in recent years and has gone from strength to strength since joining from RB Leipzig for £36m in 2021, but although he is now a veteran member of the squad in the slot, he has not been able to eliminate the obvious flaws in his game.
This is a difficult issue for the board. Virgil van Dijk is aging and Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are both inexperienced at a combined age of 39 and will be used next season on the assumption that they can be effective even if they have not returned from a long injury spell.
Perhaps Liverpool will need to dip their toes back into the market this summer. That will frustrate FSG somewhat, but Konate cannot stay there simply because it provides numerical superiority.
Especially considering Jaquet has the makings of a world-class centre-back with similar skills. Konate’s compatriot was a key figure in the £60m deal signed between Liverpool and Rennes in January, and will link up with the Merseysiders in pre-season this summer.
There are arguments that Konate should stay, but he has been one of the biggest reasons for Liverpool’s decline this season, and while Salah has been disappointing, he is getting older, which makes sense.
But Konate has no such excuse for his error-filled display.
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