Graeme Souness Delivers Brutal Verdict on Mohamed Salah's Liverpool Future
Liverpool icon Graeme Souness has delivered a scathing assessment of Mohamed Salah's form and future, bluntly stating that the Egyptian forward should leave Anfield this summer. The former Reds captain and manager has placed significant blame on Salah for Liverpool's disappointing Premier League campaign under manager Arne Slot.
Liverpool's Difficult Season Under Scrutiny
The reigning Premier League champions have experienced a challenging title defense, currently sitting in fifth position in the league table. While Liverpool could still salvage their season with a top-four finish and potential success in both the FA Cup and Champions League, their domestic form has been far below expectations.
Souness has identified Salah as the primary reason for this downturn, pointing to the forward's dramatic decline in goal production. The Egyptian international has managed just five Premier League goals this season, a significant drop from his usual prolific output.
Souness's Blunt Assessment of Salah's Decline
"What happens, in my opinion and in my experience, is your career happens one of two ways," Souness explained to Mail Online. "When you get to that sort of 33-34 age area, it's either falling off a cliff, or it's a slow decline. I think Salah is the former."
The Liverpool legend revealed he first noticed issues with Salah's performance during the Community Shield match against Crystal Palace at the start of the season. "I was sitting next to my young son, I said, 'I don't know what's wrong with him?' And then I thought, maybe he needs half a dozen games to get up to speed," Souness recalled. "But he's never improved. His numbers tell you that. His numbers are way down."
Salah Blamed for Liverpool's Collective Struggles
Souness went further in his criticism, suggesting Salah's poor form has negatively impacted the entire Liverpool squad. "He is the single biggest reason why Liverpool are having an indifferent season," Souness asserted. "Because within that group of players, there'll be some that are feeling the pain, some are feeling the negativity that's around the place, and they're not responding very well to it."
The former midfielder emphasized that Liverpool's big players have failed to step up during this difficult period. "And when you're in that position, you need big players to stand up and be counted. And I think that's been a bit of a shock to Liverpool supporters, the manager and coaching staff, that those guys have not done that."
The Clear Recommendation: Salah Must Leave
When directly asked if Salah should depart Liverpool this summer, Souness offered a simple, unequivocal response: "Yes." He elaborated on this position by stating, "His best is behind him now, there's no doubt about that. The first person to know that is yourself, and it happens to everyone. I don't see the same sparkle."
Souness acknowledged Salah's legendary status at Liverpool while maintaining his critical stance. "He's been for six, seven years the Liverpool go-to man. He has completely changed games when it wasn't going their way, and he has scored a ridiculous number of goals every season. He's a great - a Liverpool great - but his best season is behind him."
Contract Situation Adds Complexity
The situation is complicated by Salah's contractual status at Liverpool. The forward signed a new deal with the club in April last year, which keeps him under contract until 2027. This long-term commitment creates significant financial and strategic considerations for Liverpool's management as they contemplate Souness's recommendation.
Souness's comments represent one of the most direct and critical assessments of a current Liverpool star from a club legend in recent memory. His analysis focuses not just on statistical decline but on the psychological impact Salah's form has had on the entire squad during a challenging season.
