Didi Hamann urges Liverpool to make brave Mohamed Salah transfer decision

Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann reckons the Reds should "part ways" with Mohamed Salah due to him potentially becoming a distraction upon his return from the Africa Cup of Nations

Mohamed Salah has been linked with an exit from Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Didi Hamann believes Liverpool should "part ways" with Mohamed Salah, with the former Reds midfielder of the belief that the Egyptian forward could become a distraction.

On Wednesday, Salah saw his hopes of guiding Egypt to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) glory dashed by former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane, after the latter scored late on for Senegal to send the former and his country out of the tournament at the semifinal stage. Salah is set to return to Merseyside next week following Egypt's third-place playoff on Saturday, meaning he will miss the Reds' clash with Burnley.

He could be back in action for Liverpool when the team travels to take on Marseille in the Champions League next week, before the Reds face Bournemouth the following weekend.

It is not a given that Salah walks back into the Liverpool starting XI, given the controversial remarks he made before leaving for AFCON, which cast doubt on his Merseyside future. After having been named a substitute for the third game in a row by Arne Slot, Salah claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club.

While Salah's trip to AFCON served as the perfect timeout for both the Egyptian and Liverpool, a team that currently sits fourth in the Premier League, his return could see talks about his future begin to ramp up once again.

Back in 2023, the Reds rejected a monstrous $187m (£150m/€172m) bid for Salah from Al-Ittihad just a season before he led Liverpool to a second Premier League title last term.

Sadio Mane dumped Salah out of AFCON on Wednesday(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Despite him now returning to Merseyside, the Reds should now be wary of any potential drama surrounding Salah, according to Didi Hamann, who believes Liverpool should "part ways" with the Egyptian due to the fact that he could become a distraction every time he does not start during the second half of the 2025-26 season.

"He could have gone to Saudi Arabia last season and didn't," said Hamann, via BETGOAT, of Salah's decision to resign with the Reds last summer despite his contract being up.

"I'm not sure he wants to go there. But if you ask me today, the best solution would be to part ways. It would probably benefit him and the team.

Mohamed Salah is set to return to Liverpool after Egypt's AFCON exit(Image: Getty Images)

"He came out with statements I didn't really understand, and if he stays, it lingers around the camp. Every time he doesn't play, the manager gets asked why, and it becomes a distraction."

However, should Salah return to Liverpool's starting XI, Hamann sees no reason why the 33-year-old wouldn't be able to dovetail perfectly with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz in the absence of Alexander Isak.

Hamann added: "When you bring in players like Isak, Ekitike, and Wirtz, and you have [Cody] Gakpo, you have to fight for your place regardless of the past.

"The main question is: is Salah prepared to sit on the bench for a few games if the manager feels someone else is better, even if it's a Champions League semi-final or final? If not, it’s probably best to part ways.

"I don't see why Salah and Wirtz can’t work together. Salah found it hard to score from open play since Christmas last year. The question is how much Salah is still capable of affecting games. He is 32 or 33 now; with offensive players, six months can make a huge difference."