Egyptian football legend Mohamed Aboutrika has claimed that Mohamed Salah's decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season stems from a fractured relationship with manager Arne Slot. Speaking on beIN Sport, Aboutrika said he had spoken to Salah since the forward's announcement and that Slot had 'pushed the man away'.
Aboutrika, a former teammate and close friend of Salah, stated: 'One of the reasons behind Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool is the presence of Arne Slot, because we've seen issues in the recent period. You, Slot, pushed the man away.' He added that Salah wanted to 'work with peace of mind and enjoy the next phase of his career'.
Salah, 33, broke the news last week that he would depart Anfield at the end of the season, with one year left on his lucrative contract. In November, after being left out of the starting lineup for three consecutive games, Salah said he had 'no relationship' with Slot and felt the club had 'thrown him under the bus'. Following showdown talks, he returned to the side and has been a regular starter since the Africa Cup of Nations.
Slot, addressing the situation ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, cautioned against assumptions. 'What appears to be true, especially in terms of Liverpool, is maybe not always true,' he said. 'I think Mo has earned the right completely to decide whenever he thinks he should leave... I would be careful with assumptions.' Salah missed a penalty in the 4-0 loss.
