18 hours ago
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Tim Sherwood thinks Mohamed Salah took aim at Liverpool and Arne Slot to engineer a move away from Merseyside in January.
Salah accused Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus" following the team's 3-3 draw against Leeds at Elland Road last weekend. The 33-year-old also claimed that he has no relationship with Slot, who has benched him in recent Premier League games.
Slot reacted to Salah's comments by dropping him from his squad altogether for the 1-0 victory at Inter Milan on Tuesday. It's unclear whether the Egyptian, who continues to be linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabia, will play for Liverpool again following his remarks.
Sherwood, who captained Blackburn to the Premier League title in 1995, believes Salah is keen to quit Liverpool in January. "I’ve got no sympathy for him (Salah)," said the former Tottenham and Aston Villa manager on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
"I think he’s one of the greatest foreign imports we’ve ever seen in the Premier League, there’s no argument about that. His numbers and performances have been incredible, but it is all about Mo Salah.
"If Jurgen Klopp was still at the club, he would have engineered Salah’s way out of there. Because they made a change and were winning every week last year with Arne Slot, he had a great season.
"Would you give him a new contract? I’m not sure Liverpool were 100 percent about it, but they did."
Slot is yet to confirm whether Salah will be recalled to his squad for Saturday's game against Brighton at Anfield. It could be his final appearance for Liverpool, as the veteran forward will head to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt on Monday.
Sherwood can see Salah moving to the Saudi Pro League in January once the tournament concludes. He added: "They (Liveprool) also know full well that his value would still be very high, certainly for the Saudi Pro League, and I see that as his move.
"Why has he come out now? I think he’s come out now to try and engineer a move after AFCON. It’s about wanting to leave the club now.
"As a manager, you’re not there to be liked. But they need to be respected, and he needs to realize that Slot is the boss and he’s got a pressurized job, especially under the circumstances this season. Whether it’s the new players or (the death of Diogo) Jota, they’ve had a bad season.
"Arne Slot only picks the team because he thinks it can win the football match. In my eyes, he’s got nothing personal against Mo Salah. If Salah was performing like he can do, and he never had the other options that Liverpool have paid for, he’d still be in the team.
"Slot wants to make a change to the team that’s best for the football club, not best for Mo Salah. Salah isn’t thinking about the club first, he’s thinking about Mo Salah first. The club will always be bigger than any individual.
"It’s disappointing to see, and it will tarnish his legacy. It won’t destroy it, because he’s a genius of a player, and I still think he has a lot left, but I think he’s trying to move this forward so he can leave in January, otherwise he wouldn’t have spoke."
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