The latest Liverpool news as Mo Salah is targeted by a Saudi Pro League club owner while the Reds are said to be planning further transfers

The latest Liverpool news as Mo Salah is targeted by a Saudi Pro League club owner while the Reds are said to be planning further transfers

Our writers pick their Liverpool teams to face Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon in the Premier League at Anfield

Our writers pick their Liverpool teams to face Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon in the Premier League at Anfield

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch had advised Mohamed Salah to start to thrash out his issues with head coach Arne Slot

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch had advised Mohamed Salah to start to thrash out his issues with head coach Arne Slot

Rewind just a week, and the idea that Mohamed Salah would already have played his final game for Liverpool was unimaginable. Such a suggestion would have been laughed off by anyone on the outside.

But when Arne Slot didn't bring him on against Leeds United and Ao Tanaka scored a late leveler, Salah chose to go nuclear. The interview that he conducted with reporters in the Elland Road mixed zone offered an insight into exactly what he thought of the decision — and it was calculated, not an emotional mistake.

Salah had been left out of the starting XI for three games on the spin, and he didn't like it. The accusations that he leveled at Liverpool and Slot by now are well-documented, but it is no less staggering that they were aired in public.

He will be back in the Liverpool matchday squad to face Brighton this weekend, but, less than a week on, it is clear that the biggest winner from the whole thing was Slot.

His Liverpool team beat Inter Milan impressively on Tuesday — sans Salah — and heads into the weekend with the mood uplifted. The Dutchman has dealt with the whole period as well as he could have.

If this is to be the end for Salah at Liverpool — and Slot said talks have been ongoing this week between the club and his representatives before news emerged that he will return to the squad — it will be a sad final chapter.

The pair, the Liverpool boss said on Friday, would talk later that day to work out whether or not he should be in the matchday squad for the Premier League visit of Brighton. They clearly went well, but it would be a surprise if he started.

Mohamed Salah's future at Liverpool remains in doubt (Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

Salah's comments were selfish and while some of the points he made were valid, many of them simply didn't add up. No player, for instance, deserves to start a game on the basis of the level they reached in previous seasons.

The irony is that, given Cody Gakpo was injured and Federico Chiesa was ill, he would almost certainly have been in the team for the Champions League but ended up missing out — as Alisson Becker said, as a consequence of his own actions.

After Liverpool won and kept a clean sheet in a 4-4-2 shape on Tuesday, it would be a shock if too much changed against Brighton. Florian Wirtz should start, probably at the expense of Alexander Isak, but the argument for Salah coming in has only been weakened.

"I will have a conversation with Mo this morning and the outcome of that conversation determines how it will look tomorrow," Slot said on Friday morning.

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Though he is now ready to come back — whether an apology was forthcoming or not — Salah will then head off for AFCON.

In an ideal world, Salah would use the tournament in Morocco to reset, realize the error he made, and fully reintegrate, regardless of what part he plays this weekend. That would give him the chance to finish the season with Liverpool and wave a proper goodbye.

At that point, next summer, it is possible the numbers will add up for him to leave, presumably to Saudi Arabia, even with 12 months remaining on the contract he signed in April of this year.

Going before that, though, would not be a fitting end for a legend. Unfortunately for Salah, if that is how it plays out, it would all be of his own doing.

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Gary Neville has weighed in on Mohamed Salah's situation at Liverpool, following the player's explosive post-match interview last weekend.

Salah was left on the bench during the match against Leeds United and subsequently omitted from Liverpool's squad for their midweek Champions League encounter with Inter Milan in Italy. Between the two games, the Liverpool icon said he felt "thrown under the bus" and hinted at a strained relationship with Slot in a scathing attack on the club.

Neville shared his perspective with Sky Sports prior to the announcement that Salah had been included in the Reds' squad for Saturday's match against Brighton following showdown talks with Slot.

"I see it from both sides," began Neville. "I wouldn't see it from an ordinary player's side, but when you have this level of player who's like the best in the world, which I would put Mo Salah up there with — you just sometimes not have to accept what he's done because Cristiano Ronaldo did it here and I didn't take to it too kindly at all.

"I think those players have an expectancy in my opinion to bring everybody along with them. But it is not unusual behaviour for a player of that level of quality and talent.

"They often have that sort of different outlook on things. It's easy for me when it's at Liverpool because I can sit back and relax a little bit.

"I wouldn't like it if it was at my club Manchester United and I didn't do a few years ago when Cristiano did the big interview and I thought it was wrong.

Salah attacked Liverpool and hinted at a breakdown in his relationship with Slot after being benched against Leeds (Image: PA)

"I thought the timing was wrong, I thought the way in which it was delivered was wrong and I can see why Liverpool fans would be upset that he's gone in there after the game.

"But actually, I was doing the game, I thought he should have come on the pitch, that was my personal opinion.

"I said it in commentary that I thought substitution should be made and that Liverpool needed to go for it and they did score a goal pretty quickly after but I still thought he should have been on the pitch."

Neville went on: "I can see why he was upset, but I can see also from Liverpool's perspective that they feel let down and they feel like he's obviously put a lot of attention on them that wasn't needed in a moment of challenge and difficulty.

Neville recalled Cristiano Ronaldo's conflict with Manchester United as he discussed the Salah drama (Image: Getty)

"So I see it from both sides. If it was a player that didn't have the level of talent or experience or success of Mo Salah, I think that they would probably be kicked out pretty quickly.

"But when you're that exceptional and you're that talented, and you have the, I'm not going to call it the ego, but the presence of a great player, you don't accept being put on the bench and not being put on, you just don't.

"I played with a number of players who were exactly the same, who to be fair, left this club the minute that that was the case for them. So I can see it from both sides."

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Arne Slot has confessed he has found the past week at Liverpool deeply unpleasant following Mohamed Salah's explosive interview. The Reds manager is also keen to prevent "a circus" surrounding the Egyptian talisman when the Premier League leaders welcome Brighton tomorrow (Saturday).

Salah remained on the bench throughout last Saturday's thrilling 3-3 stalemate at Leeds United. This marked the third consecutive match he had been relegated to substitute duty after previously featuring from the start in 53 straight league encounters for the Reds. The visibly frustrated attacker aired his grievances publicly after the match, alleging the club had "thrown him under the bus" and suggesting his relationship with Slot had deteriorated completely.

However, following his omission from Tuesday evening's squad for the European trip to Inter in the Champions League, discussions took place on Friday between the duo to determine the path forward.

It's believed constructive talks were conducted, and Salah is now expected to rejoin the squad on Saturday against Brighton for what will be his final appearance before linking up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations.

"The biggest factor is [to] do the best for the team and for the club," Slot explained, speaking prior to his Friday afternoon discussion with Salah.

"I haven't said this before but I can say I am definitely not enjoying this situation. It's not like I'm happy we are in this situation by far.

"We have won the league together and he has done so much for the club. Ideally you are not in a situation like this with your player.

Salah is expected to be included in the squad for Brighton (Image: Lewis Storey, Getty Images)

"I am far from enjoying it but I have to make my line-ups doing what is best for the club and for the team, in my opinion.

"That's not to say that I do so but it is about my opinion. To tell you that I like it, no, I don't like it and I'm not enjoying it.

"If I can, and it is also good for the team and for the club, I would definitely prefer to [avoid a circus against Brighton] because I don't think it's in the interests of the team and the club that we keep having.

"And I don't think it's a circus for me, but if it is a circus that is not helpful for anyone. So you try to avoid it as long as you can do what is best for the team.

"If I tell you what my reaction was and what I felt, it would not help us in the current situation. Everything I have done until now is doing what is in the best interest of the club and the team and I don't think if I tell you what I felt or blah blah that it will help us in the situation.

"I can completely understand why you ask as it is interesting to know but what I've tried to do since I've been here and for this whole situation is doing what is best for the team and the club in this situation as it is already challenging enough for us without this situation."

Slot added: "I can understand that is important for you and other people to know but I don't think that helps us that I go into detail about everything that has happened or will happen.

"I think it is in everyone's interest, or the interest of the club, that I keep as much detail as I can to myself as these details don't help us calming the whole situation."

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Mohamed Salah has been included in the Liverpool squad for Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton.

The decision comes after conversations between Salah and Arne Slot on Friday, with the decision to recall the forward being made by the head coach.

Saturday's game will be Salah's last chance to play for Liverpool this year before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.

The forward has not started any of Liverpool's last four games, with Sky Sports News understanding he was dropped for football reasons.

Salah was an unused substitute against Leeds last weekend, after which he said he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club and that his relationship with Slot had become non-existent.

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The club subsequently decided to drop him from the travelling squad which won 1-0 at Inter Milan on Tuesday, the same day Salah posted a photograph on Instagram of himself training alone at the training-ground gym.

Despite long-standing interest from Saudi Arabia in Salah, Liverpool have not received any official registration of interest from a Saudi club.

When asked on Friday whether Salah had played his final game for the club, Slot said: "I will have a conversation with Mo this morning. The outcome of that conversation determines how it will look tomorrow.

"What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. There's not much more to say about it. I will speak to him today and the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow.

"You can try it in multiple ways, the next time I speak should be with him. We've spoken a lot in the last week, after the Sunderland game, there have been a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me.

"And today I will speak with him again."

Analysis: What Salah's return could mean

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Kaveh Solhekol explains what it could mean for Salah following the news the forward has been included in the Liverpool squad for their game against Brighton

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:

"I think we've got a peace deal, but I'm not sure how long this peace deal is going to last. It could be something that is very short-term.

"My understanding is that Arne Slot's made this decision because he's putting the team and the club first.

"The reason why I say I'm not sure whether this is a long-term peace deal is because after Saturday's game, Salah will be flying off to play for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.

"My feeling is that the break will give the key people involved more time to try and tackle the situation, to come to a resolution. So I don't think Saturday is the resolution, but I think it's an important step.

"The reason I say Slot's doing it for the best interests of Liverpool is, I think if he was just thinking about himself and his authority, he would think that Salah doesn't deserve to be back in the squad for what he did.

"I think Slot's looking at the bigger picture and thinking what's best for the side and the club is to bring him back in.

"It'll be really interesting to see whether Salah's in the starting XI tomorrow or whether he plays at all. And there is still the possibility that tomorrow could be his final game for Liverpool.

"This situation hasn't been resolved. It's going to be resolved by talks held between his representatives and also senior executives at Liverpool during the time when Salah is at the Africa Cup of Nations.

"What I find quite interesting is, this has all happened against the backdrop of the fact that the January transfer window is opening and clubs in Saudi Arabia have been targeting signing Salah in January.

"Perhaps Salah feels that he's been dropped because Liverpool want to sell him in January.

"When he made that comment that he made last Saturday that he feels there are certain people at the club who want him out, maybe there is this potential deal with a Saudi Arabian club like Al Ittihad on the table and he is suggesting that there are some people at Liverpool who want him to go.

"Whereas I think Salah's feeling is that he doesn't want to go to Saudi Arabia yet - he wants to stay and play at Liverpool."

Slot: I have no reason to not want Salah to stay

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Arne Slot revealed he would hold talks with Salah regarding his future at Liverpool after he was left out of the squad for the Champions League game against Inter Milan

Slot was quizzed on his personal desire about Salah's future at Anfield and the head coach also clarified the decision-making process behind omitting Salah from Tuesday's win in Milan, which was made jointly between himself and the club.

He said: "[Who decides] if he's in the squad, yes or no? We've decided as a club, I was part of that decision not to take Mo to Inter Milan.

"I'm always in conversation [with the Liverpool board], but when it comes to the decision-making of the squad or the line-up, that is always left to me.

"That's not to say I don't talk to Richard [Hughes, sporting director]. I talk to Richard about many things. But to play a player is entirely up to me."

Asked specifically if he wanted Salah to stay, Slot replied: "I have no reasons not to want him to stay. This club has won a lot of games with him."

Nev: Salah saga similar to Ronaldo exit - a player of less talent would be out

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Gary Neville compared Salah's situation at Liverpool to Cristiano Ronaldo's exit from Manchester United, suggesting that players with that level of talent cannot accept being benched

Gary Neville says he sympathises with both Salah and Liverpool over their dispute, likening the situation to Cristiano Ronaldo's acrimonious exit from Manchester United in 2022.

Three years ago, Ronaldo left United for a second time after hitting out at the club's standards and criticising then-boss Erik ten Hag.

"I see it from both sides," Neville told Sky Sports News.

"I wouldn't see it from an ordinary player's side. But when you have this level of player that's almost the best in the world, which I'd put Mo Salah up there with, you sometimes… not have to accept what he's done because Cristiano Ronaldo did it [at United] and I didn't take to it too kindly at all because I think those players have an expectancy to bring everybody along with them.

"But it is not unusual behaviour for a player of that level of quality and talent. They often have a different outlook on things.

"It's easy for me when it's at Liverpool because I can sit back and relax a little bit. I wouldn't like it if it was at my club Manchester United and I didn't a few years ago when Cristiano did it and he went and did the big interview.

"I thought it was wrong, I thought the timing was wrong and the way it was delivered was wrong, so I can see why Liverpool fans would be upset.

"But I was doing the game [against Leeds], I thought [Salah] should have come on the pitch, I said it on commentary.

"I can see why he was upset but I can also see it from Liverpool's perspective - they feel let down and that he's put a lot of attention on them that wasn't needed in a moment of challenge and difficulty."

"If it was a player that didn't have the level of talent, experience or success of Mo Salah I think they'd be kicked out pretty quickly," Neville continued.

"But when you're that exceptional and that talented and have the presence of a great player you don't accept being put on the bench and not being put on.

"I played with players who were exactly the same and left the club as soon as that was the case."

Merse: Liverpool owe trophy debt to Salah

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Paul Merson sides with Salah after his explosive interview - in which he took aim at Slot - led to him being left out of Liverpool's squad for the win over Inter Milan

Paul Merson defended Salah following his claims that Liverpool have "thrown him under the bus", suggesting the club's trophy cabinet would be a lot emptier without the Egyptian.

"I'm on Mo Salah's side. I think he's gotten too much stick," said Merson.

"Maybe he shouldn't have done what he did, but he's a human being. He's a winner. He's a legend. The figures he's put up on the wing - goals and assists - is off the charts. We'll never see that again in my opinion.

"All he's done is say he wants to play football. He's got the hump because he's not playing. How could you be slaughtered for that?

"There are other players in the team that could've been dropped and he's probably thinking 'we're not very good and I'm not playing'. I just think it's wrong.

"Liverpool wouldn't have won anything if it wasn't for Mo Salah. You take away his goals and assists and I don't think there's any trophies in that cabinet for a while."

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