Is Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool? Here's why the Reds forward was benched in game against Crystal Palace
All doesn't seem right in the Liverpool camp as there are speculations rife over Mohamed Salah's future with the club. The ongoing Premier League has seen the defending champions still on top of the leaderboard, but the vibe in the team seems to be a tad negative. According to recent reports that emerged, it was said Salah was unhappy at Liverpool and the club is planning on selling him. This bit of news came from his former Egypt-mate, Mohamed Aboutrika.
Aboutrika told Daily Mail that Salah not being made captain against Midtjylland in the Champions League earlier this month was one of the main issues. The captaincy was handed to 22-year old Trent-Alexander Arnold instead. In a recent interview with AS, Salah also didn't decline the possibility of shifting bases to either FC Barcelona or Real Madrid. “Honestly, I was very disappointed,” Salah told the Spanish publication. “I was expecting to be the captain... but it's the manager's decision, so I accept it.”
"If Salah was a player at Real Madrid or Barcelona, and playing at the same level as Liverpool, he would've won the Ballon d'Or, and it is normal for a Spanish newspaper to ask Salah about Real Madrid and Barcelona," Aboutrika said. "In my opinion, Liverpool are considering selling Salah for economic purposes. I do not have any influence over Salah's decisions, he is my friend and brother, and he is smart enough to know what is best for him."
Except, this interview didn't go down well with the folks at Anfield. The result was Salah's benching in their Saturday (December 19) fixture against Crystal Palace which they dominated with a massive 7-0 win. Although Salah did get some game time, which he made optimal use of by netting a brace, there are still talks about how unhappy he is at the camp. Gaffer Jurgen Klopp in the meantime said the idea was to keep his troops fresh.
Ahead of the game, Klopp told BT Sport that Salah is on the bench. "They have all played a lot of games. He can come on and make a difference. We need all the boys.” In the 14 games Liverpool has played so far, Salah leads the pack with 13 goals that also includes his two goals against Palace. He was a vital cog in their 2019-20 season and has played a key role in ensuring there is a solid four-point lead between them and the second-placed Leicester City.
Liverpool will host West Brom at Anfield on Sunday, December 27, 2020.