Ex-Liverpool star tells Mohamed Salah to 'accept' new role to extend Anfield career

Former Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes believes Mohamed Salah may need to accept a different role at Anfield in future, similar to Antoine Griezmann's impact player status at Atletico Madrid

Florian Wirtz celebrates with Mohamed Salah (Image: Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Mohamed Salah has been warned he may need to come to terms with no longer being a guaranteed starter in the Liverpool line-up moving forward - though he's been tipped to continue making a significant contribution for the Premier League champions.

Salah sparked controversy in early December when, after being left on the bench for three consecutive matches by Arne Slot, he suggested he was being made a scapegoat for the team's struggles and claimed to have no rapport with the Reds manager.

After being omitted entirely from the squad for the subsequent Champions League fixture at Inter, Salah issued an apology to his teammates and engaged in frank discussions with Slot, and has featured from the start in all four Liverpool matches since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations a fortnight ago.

Salah, now 33, etched his name into Premier League history at the weekend when his assist for Florian Wirtz's goal in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle United brought him to 152 goal contributions at Anfield in the competition - an unmatched tally for any player at a single venue.

The Egyptian has 18 months remaining on his Anfield deal, with Saudi Pro League clubs anticipated to mount a serious bid to secure the winger's signature during the summer transfer window.

However, former Liverpool forward Fernando Morientes remains adamant that Salah will still have a role to play for Liverpool next season, though it may mirror that of 34 year old France World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, who appears in every match for Atletico Madrid when fit but seldom from the opening whistle.

"What's been happening to Liverpool is similar to what's been happening at Real Madrid: they're not quite getting the results, Morientes told the Liverpool ECHO.

"Liverpool were used to winning, and their biggest star is Salah. The thing is, Salah, like everyone else, is getting older, and new players keep emerging. What's clear is that what Salah has done for Liverpool is something very few players will ever do, in terms of goals, influence and leadership.

"I think he can still have an impact, but probably not as much as he did in the past. That said, many players become legends because of everything they've done and because of what they contribute to the team from a different role, and Salah could be one of them.

Mohamed Salah on the bench at Liverpool(Image: Getty)

"I'm thinking, for example, of Griezmann, a player we don't see in the starting XI every week, but who has a secondary role and accepts it well.

"If Salah accepts something similar, he'll surely still be important for Liverpool as they are now. What I don't know is whether he'll be happy with that role or whether he'll want to look for another project where he can be the leader."

Liverpool invested heavily during the summer to reshape their attacking options, bringing in Alexander Isak, Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike.

And Morientes, who netted 12 goals in 61 outings for Liverpool, hasn't been taken aback by the early difficulties in finding their rhythm. Speaking to the ECHO on behalf of Casino.org, he added: "They've signed players by simply spending huge amounts of money, but that doesn't automatically tell you which buttons to press to make everything work.

"Football is very unpredictable and sometimes the more you spend, the less you get in return. So far, the players haven't adapted well.

"As a group, they haven't really clicked either, and that's why Liverpool are struggling so much at the moment. I don't see them as clear contenders to win the Premier League, and I also find it hard to see them as genuine Champions League contenders.

"However, they do have something others don't: those signings they made because of their talent could, at any moment, suddenly explode and completely change the team's momentum. I see it as difficult, but it could happen."