John Barnes Advocates for Mohamed Salah's Liverpool Departure, Suggests Earlier Exit Would Have Been Preferable
Liverpool icon John Barnes has declared that Mohamed Salah's impending summer departure from Anfield is appropriately timed, though he contends the Egyptian superstar should have left the club even sooner. Salah's disappointing farewell tour continued during the FA Cup quarter-final, where his penalty was saved in a crushing 4-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Salah's Controversial Comments and Declining Form Prompt Exit Discussion
The 33-year-old forward confirmed last month he will conclude his nine-year tenure with Liverpool at season's end, but his future became uncertain following outspoken remarks about the club and manager Arne Slot after a December match at Leeds. Barnes asserts that an exit at that juncture would have been more logical, agreeing that a summer separation now represents the optimal outcome for all involved.
Barnes elaborated: "I believe this is probably the right moment, primarily due to how the season has unfolded and what he has been able to contribute. I thought it would have been at the end of last year, which for me would have been a better time for both parties. Those comments weren't helpful, and it probably is the right time because, from a competitive standpoint, Liverpool require players who are physically competitive week in, week out, especially if you are the highest earner."
Statistical Decline and Squad Evolution Underline Barnes' Perspective
Salah is currently tracking toward his least productive season with Liverpool, having netted just 10 goals in 35 appearances ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. His status as an automatic starter has been increasingly challenged since Liverpool's acquisitions of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz last summer. Barnes emphasizes that the club had to strategically plan for the future, with Salah approaching 34 years old in June.
Speaking to OLBG, Barnes explained: "The issue for Salah is universal. When you reach 34, this occurs. Had those new players not arrived, I don't necessarily believe Mo would still be scoring 25 or 30 goals. The tactical focus might have shifted more toward Mo, considering what Wirtz and Ekitike are achieving. However, that doesn't guarantee Mo would have replicated his performances from the past two or three years."
Liverpool's Transfer Strategy and Future Planning
Barnes defended Liverpool's recruitment approach, noting: "They needed to sign those players because you risk missing out on them. If they hadn't secured them, those talents could have gone elsewhere, leaving the club in a predicament the following year. When the opportunity arises to sign the right players, you act. They were pursuing Isak, the Ekitike opportunity emerged unexpectedly, and because they had progressed so far with Isak, they had to acquire Ekitike as well."
He continued: "Perhaps one could question whether they required both. Had they obtained Isak initially, I doubt they would have pursued Ekitike. I wouldn't say they overspent or purchased too many players. Nevertheless, it will require time for all these players to develop chemistry."
Salah's Legacy Among Liverpool's All-Time Greats
Despite Salah's struggles in his final campaign, Barnes unequivocally places Liverpool's number 11 among the club's legendary figures. "He ranks with the finest," stated the 62-year-old. "You can mention Steven Gerrard, revisit Kevin Keegan, or recall Ian Callaghan. It's a generational consideration. Examining a ten-year span from the 1950s with Billy Liddell, then Ian St John or Roger Hunt in the 1960s, Kevin Keegan in the 1970s, myself in the 1980s, and Gerrard—Mo will undoubtedly be among them. I avoid numerical rankings because that's frivolous. He isn't necessarily superior to Ian Callaghan or Billy Liddell, but among Liverpool's elite players, he absolutely belongs."
