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Mohamed Salah’s return to action against Brighton has prompted fresh debate over his Liverpool future, with the forward now being told what he must do next after a turbulent period.
Salah accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” after last Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds, claiming his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down and even suggesting the weekend’s match could be his last at Anfield.
Restored to the squad following talks with Slot on Friday, he was introduced earlier than planned after Joe Gomez was forced off injured after 26 minutes, with Anfield responding with loud cheers as any lingering resentment from his Leeds interview appeared to fade.
While Hugo Ekitike scored twice for the second game in succession, it was Salah’s display — his final outing for Liverpool before departing for AFCON with Egypt — that defined the afternoon.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton believes Salah needs to apologise for his outburst if he wants to return in January.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5Live at Anfield, he said: "We keep hearing there's going to be talks between Salah and his advisors and Slot but Mo Salah's just got to apologise, hold his hands up and say 'I got it wrong' for this wonderful relationship between him and his club Liverpool to carry on.
"Important three points for Slot. All the talk was about Salah before the match and if he would come on and he did come on but it's all about Hugo Ekitike.
"Two goals, three points against a Brighton side who were wasteful on the day."
"I suppose everybody will be leaving Anfield with that feeling of what's going to happen next with Mo Salah" added Sutton. "Is he going to stay or is he going to go? But it's been a good week for Slot.
"I don't think it was a goodbye. There were a couple of moments where we you thought 'was that a wave or not' but it just looked like he was applauding the fans like he does every week and as a lot of the other players did.
"It's going to be interesting to see how this situation pans out. If you're a Liverpool fan you want to keep your best players so you'll be hoping it works out."
Liverpool.com says: At this stage, a January departure would still come as a surprise, with Salah under contract until 2027 and Liverpool keen to retain him. However, if the rift with Slot cannot be repaired and his difficult spell continues, there remains a possibility that he may not feature for the Reds again.
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