Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool this summer with legendary status assured, despite a strained final season marked by public criticisms of head coach Arne Slot. The 33-year-old forward, who joined from Roma for £36.9m in 2017, departs after 257 goals in 441 appearances, eight major honours and numerous club records.
Salah's relationship with Slot soured after he was dropped for three games late last year and benched for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain. The Egyptian made three public attempts to undermine Slot in the past six months, most recently criticising the team's style of play after a defeat at Aston Villa.
Despite the acrimony, Salah's legacy at Anfield is secure. He scored on his Premier League debut and ended his first season with 44 goals, winning the first of four Premier League Golden Boots. He was a key figure in Liverpool's 2019 Champions League triumph and 2020 Premier League title, and helped Slot's side secure a record-equalling 20th league championship last season.
Manager Jürgen Klopp, who signed Salah based on data analysis over German contacts, described him as 'hungry, willing and eager to be even better'. That drive has defined his Liverpool career, but also contributed to his departure as he refuses to accept a diminished role with his pace on the wane.
Salah's final home game on Sunday will be an emotional farewell to a player who pushed himself into Liverpool's hall of fame. While his parting shots were unfortunate, they do not diminish his phenomenal achievement in becoming a Kop legend alongside Steven Gerrard and Sir Kenny Dalglish.
