UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett has turned his focus from the Octagon to Anfield, offering his candid take on the ongoing saga surrounding Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Pimblett's Verdict on Salah and Slot
The fighter, known as "Paddy The Baddy," is preparing for an interim lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in Las Vegas this January. However, his thoughts have also been with his beloved football club, where Salah's future remains uncertain. The Egyptian star recently claimed he felt "thrown under the bus" after being dropped by manager Arne Slot amid the team's poor run of form.
"It's not up to me, you know what I mean? We'd really like him to stay, of course," Pimblett told The Independent. "We want him to stay and break more records with us. But he shouldn't have done what he done."
Pimblett believes Salah's public comments have shifted the dynamic at the club. "I think he's given Slot more power by doing what he's done; he shouldn't have come out and done that," he stated. "He made the club look silly, he made himself look silly, made Slot look silly, made everyone look silly."
The Business of Football: A Potential January Exit
Despite his criticism, the diehard Reds fan hopes Salah remains at Anfield. Yet, he also sees the potential financial logic if a sale occurs during the upcoming transfer window. Speculation has linked Salah with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League.
"If the club think they can sell him, get a fee for him, get £400,000 a week off the wage bill, sign [Antoine] Semenyo and Marc Guehi, that's good business," Pimblett analysed pragmatically.
Salah featured as a substitute in Liverpool's 2-0 home win over Brighton last weekend, coming on in the first half after an injury to Joe Gomez. The victory was only the team's fifth in their last ten matches across all competitions, a period which also included three heavy defeats.
Title Race Focus: Arsenal and City the Threats
Looking at the broader Premier League picture, Pimblett remains characteristically optimistic about Liverpool's chances, despite sitting seventh in the table. His concerns lie more with the reigning champions than the current leaders.
"I'm thinking right now: it's only Arsenal [atop the league], it's only 10 points [to Liverpool]," he said. "Arsenal could drop that at any time. I'm more concerned about [Manchester] City; City are the team, City are gonna win the league if it's not us."
Ultimately, Pimblett expressed his full faith in the club's decision-makers. "It just depends what the club wants to do. I have full faith in Liverpool Football Club and what they want to do, lad, I'm an eternal optimist," he concluded, blending his Scouse loyalty with a fighter's resolve.
