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Liverpool has been told that Mohamed Salah is a "one-trick pony" and that he will not be able to adapt his game to play in a different position as he ages.
Salah has operated as a right winger throughout his career, establishing himself as one of the best players in the world in that position over the last decade.
His effectiveness appears to have diminished this season, but considering the Liverpool legend's drop-off has not been over a large period of time, it would be premature to say for certain that it is age-related.
If it is age-related, though, Richard Keys believes the player could be in trouble, as he does not think that Salah has the tools to be able to adapt his game and play in a different position.
Examples of players to do that include Ryan Giggs, who finished his career with Manchester United as a central midfielder after initially playing on the left wing; and Steven Gerrard, who dropped deeper in the Liverpool midfield as he aged.
“For me one of the problems with Mo Salah is that... as players age, you can often get something else from them,” Keys said on beIN Sports. “I need to be careful how I phrase this now, but he’s a one-trick pony, what you see is what you get.
“You’re not going to turn him into a dominant midfield player or a centre forward. He’s just that (a wide player). He looks like his best days are behind him, doesn’t he?”
Salah produced one of his brightest performances of the season against Brighton on Saturday, and after full-time he stayed out on the field for longer than any of his teammates as he applauded the thousands of supporters who had stayed behind to sing his name.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised Salah's performance against the Seagulls, telling Sky Sports: "I think he was a threat. I think the first ball he touched he almost gave an assist to [Alexis] Mac Allister who squared it, I think, and maybe was a chance for him to shoot as well.
"He was constantly in the threat we had. It was pleasing to see but also not a surprise because he has done that many times in a Liverpool shirt.”
Asked whether it was an easy decision to restore Salah to the squad after a week of chatter surrounding Liverpool's most high-profile player, Slot said: “It was an easy decision to put him in the squad and I’ve said many times before what has been said between the two of us, for me that stays between the two of us.
"He was back in the squad again and we needed him because he was the first substitution I made. He assisted for the 2-0 for the corner kick which is also very nice for us because we have been so many times this season on the wrong side of the set-piece battle. Today we scored one and didn’t concede. That led to our win.”
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