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Richard Keys found himself cut off by former AC Milan icon Ruud Gullit during a fiery exchange about Mohamed Salah's recent explosive interview. The Liverpool forward was omitted from the Reds' Champions League squad for the victory against Inter Milan following his scathing remarks, in which he accused the club of throwing him under the bus.
Salah also hit out at Jamie Carragher in the interview after the stalemate with Leeds United, marking the third consecutive match he'd been dropped from the starting line-up. Ex-Liverpool defender Carragher has been vocal in his criticism of Salah's form this season and has subsequently stood firm on his position.
Gullit sided with Carragher, arguing that Salah ought to have kept his thoughts private, whilst Keys maintained the Liverpool star had earned the privilege to voice his opinion as they clashed live on beIN SPORTS.
"What is the motivation of it, do you want to leave? I think so," said Gullit. "I have been in the same situation as him with Milan. The same thing.
"I didn't play in the Champions League Final against Marseille. I didn't say anything. Why? Because my team has to play, the players have to play and I have to keep my mouth shut for them," reports the Mirror.
"That is the wrong thing. You should keep it to yourself and then you have to deal with it. Now with the press before a match like this which is very important for everybody.
"Now it comes to the conclusion, he did it on purpose."
Keys responded: "Of course he did. If Liverpool were honest, they would admit they signed him last summer with the view to selling him. Because he's only going to be worth £50m-£80m for another season.
"He would have walked for nothing. They couldn't afford to let Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah go for nothing. I think we're probably reaching the conclusion the club wants and that Mo clearly does right now.
"I think he's earned the right to tell us how he feels."
"No, no, no," interjected Gullit. "The thing is, did he play well the last couple of weeks. He played awful. He didn't play well for a reason.
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"The only thing, the same thing in the studio here they all defended Mo Salah, all of them. But I think it was not the right thing to do. Especially when you don't play well.
"Now, if the team is playing well without Mo Salah, your trumps are over."
Keys interrupted to ask why the former Netherlands international thought Salah wasn't playing well, but Gullit admitted he didn't know.
"I think there's a couple of reasons," Andy Gray said. "Probably himself and probably because Arne Slot has changed the way they're playing."
Keys said: "He's not happy with the way things are at the moment at the football club. He's not the only one, there's another senior professional there in exactly the same boat and he's getting away with murder week in, week out."
Salah has subsequently been strongly associated with a high-profile transfer to Saudi Arabia, although Liverpool is still receptive to the idea of the iconic winger rejoining the squad.
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