Mohamed Salah's Future at Liverpool: A Potential U-Turn

Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future, which looked sealed and signed for a summer goodbye, has been dragged back into the spotlight – and this time, the conditions are his.

The 2025/26 season has unravelled at Anfield. What was supposed to be the defence of a 20th league title has turned into a laboured stumble, marked by flat performances, tactical confusion and a dressing room that no longer feels aligned with the man in the dugout.

At the heart of it all: Salah and Arne Slot.

From icon to outcast

Salah’s form has nosedived with the rest of the squad. The player who once terrified defences now looks a shadow of last season’s talisman, and his relationship with Slot has deteriorated in public view.

He has bristled at a reduced role, reacted badly to slipping down the pecking order and watched as the club moved towards letting him walk away on a free transfer this summer, despite a year still left on his contract. Over the weekend, he went a step further, openly criticising Slot’s style and calling for the return of “heavy metal attacking football” – a pointed nod to the high-octane identity Liverpool once lived by.

All sides had broadly accepted the same conclusion: a clean break at the end of the season.

Then the story twisted.

Salah’s U-turn – but on his terms

According to The Athletic, Salah has not entirely closed the door on staying at Liverpool. Far from it. The report details how some of his associates in Egypt have been quietly suggesting he would consider remaining at Anfield despite recent announcements about a summer exit.

There is, however, a catch. A big one.

For Salah to commit his future to Liverpool, there would need to be what is described as a “regime change” at the club. That starts with Slot. The report states that Salah’s willingness to stay is tied to the departure of the head coach and the exit of key directors who back him – figures who, like Slot, are also only a year away from the end of their contracts.

In other words, Salah is open to a U-turn only if Liverpool themselves perform one first.

Turmoil at the top

The tension is not just between star forward and head coach. It runs through the structure above Slot, where the hierarchy has so far stood firmly behind the Dutchman despite the grim numbers: 20 defeats this season and a style of play that has failed to convince players or supporters.

Salah’s outburst after Friday’s loss to Aston Villa did not just vent frustration. It applied pressure. Publicly. Sharply.

A report from TEAMtalk on Monday suggested that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had been triggered into a rethink on Slot’s position, with four possible replacements under consideration. That hinted at a club starting to wobble in its support for the man they chose to lead the post-title era.

Yet the message from inside the camp has not fully shifted.

FSG stand by Slot – for now

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano moved quickly to underline Liverpool’s stance. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he made it clear that, as things stand, the club’s owners and senior management remain behind Slot.

“They want to support Arne Slot, believe in Arne Slot,” Romano said, while acknowledging the brutal reality of the campaign: a negative season, 20 defeats, and football that has rarely stirred the soul.

He stressed that, up to this past weekend, Liverpool had not made contact with any other coach. No approach for Xabi Alonso. No quiet calls to alternative candidates. The belief, internally, remains with Slot.

That leaves Liverpool at a crossroads with their greatest modern goalscorer.

A club caught between eras

On one side, a coach the hierarchy insists it still trusts, even as results and performances scream the opposite. On the other, a legendary forward prepared to rip up his exit plan – but only if the club rips up its current blueprint.

This is no minor contract wrangle. It is a clash over identity, power and direction.

Does Liverpool double down on Slot and accept the end of the Salah era on strained terms? Or do they side with the dressing room’s most influential figure and start again above the touchline?

The answer will shape far more than one man’s future. It will tell the world what kind of club Liverpool intend to be in the seasons to come.