'Absolute certainty': The reason Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool in 2026 has now been shared - journalist

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.

Some clarity on why Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool a year earlier than expected has been shared.It emerged on Tuesday evening that, despite his contract running until 2027, Salah is departing for free.He leaves a club legend, but the issues he has had with current manager Arne Slot appear to have played a big role in the sudden exit. Is Mohamed Salah Liverpool’s greatest EVER player?

Nine years of sheer brilliance are coming to an end… Photo Credit: Getty Images/Stuart Franklin – UEFA/Michael Regan Arne Slot relationship impacted Mohamed Salah exitBack in late 2025, after a 3-3 draw with Leeds United, Salah hit out at Liverpool and suggested he had no relationship with the manager.Slot then dropped the winger for the 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League before starting him on the bench against Brighton and Hove Albion later that week.The 33-year-old then left Anfield to compete at the AFCON, and when he returned, the Dutchman made it a priority to start Salah as often as possible.In turn, it seemed like the issue post-Leeds was water under the bridge and all parties had moved on.However, Ismael Mahmoud has now suggested on X/Twitter that the relationship with Slot played a role in Salah leaving at the end of 2025/26.He wrote: “The relationship with Arne Slot.. It became an absolute certainty: Salah and Arne Slot simply could not exist in the same team next season.”The update aligns with the current word coming out of the club about the Dutchman’s future.Xabi Alonso was linked with a return to Anfield again this week in reports from Germany.However, it has since been said that Liverpool don’t have plans to sack Slot.If that is indeed the case, it would make sense that Salah would decide that he can no longer continue on Merseyside for another season until his contract is up.That is not expected to go down well with fans, who have expressed frustration at Slot this term.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox