Mohamed Salah has always been Liverpool’s unstoppable constant. The flash of red down the wing, the roar of Anfield swelling behind him, the calm finish that sends crowds into delirium. Yet now, the club’s talisman is preparing to step away – and the entire red half of Merseyside is bracing for a future that suddenly looks far less certain.
The Egyptian superstar is reportedly set for decisive talks with Egypt national team manager Hossam Hassan next week, a meeting that could determine just how long Liverpool will be without their most influential forward this season. With the Africa Cup of Nations looming, Salah’s commitments for his country are poised to take priority, potentially ruling him out of eight or more Liverpool matches during one of the most critical stretches of the campaign.
And for many Liverpool supporters, it already feels like a farewell.
Salah, now 33, is facing the familiar crossfire of club versus country, and this time, the stakes could be even higher. Egypt are set to begin their AFCON training camp soon, featuring warm-up fixtures against the United Arab Emirates on December 6, Jordan on December 9, and Nigeria on December 14. Meanwhile, Liverpool are preparing for a packed December run, including Premier League clashes with Leeds United and Brighton, plus a massive Champions League showdown with Inter Milan.
Both sides want him. Both sides feel they deserve him. And Salah, ever the loyal servant to both Liverpool and Egypt, is walking a tightrope that may finally be pulled in one direction.
Two years ago, Liverpool successfully intervened to keep their star at Anfield during an international break, citing long-term physical strain and fatigue. The decision sent shockwaves back in Cairo, where fans and media called the move “disrespectful” and accused the Premier League giants of overreach. Now, with AFCON set to take place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, there will be no such compromise. Salah will go – the only debate remaining is when he leaves.
Should Egypt insist on his early release for all training sessions and friendlies, Liverpool could lose him before the Brighton match on December 13. In the worst-case scenario? Salah could miss:
- Tottenham (Premier League)
- Wolves (Premier League)
- Leeds (Premier League)
- Fulham (Premier League)
- Arsenal (Premier League)
- Burnley (Premier League)
- Marseille (Champions League)
- FA Cup Third Round
For a Liverpool side still pushing to stay within reach of the title race and maintain momentum in Europe, this is not a small absence. This is a storm.
What makes it more emotionally charged is how Salah himself has spoken internally about this stage of his career. Sources close to the forward say he wants to leave Liverpool on the highest possible note. He wants to fight for the Premier League again. He wants to walk away a champion, not a fading figure.
He does not want conflict. He does not want resentment. He is desperate to avoid the diplomatic chaos of club versus country that has marred many African stars before him.
This is not a player losing interest. This is a man trying to do right by everyone – and discovering it might not be possible.
Even as whispers of his eventual Liverpool exit grow louder – whether to Saudi Arabia, MLS, or elsewhere – Salah remains visibly invested on the pitch. Despite suggestions of declining form, he has contributed five goals and three assists in 15 appearances this season, and has found the net in each of his last two Premier League matches. The touch, the instinct, the spark – it’s all still there.
But Liverpool fans can read between the lines.
The farewell is no longer a distant concept. It is sitting on the edge of Anfield’s gates, waiting.
Should Egypt reach the final stages of AFCON, Salah might not return until late January, with a potential comeback fixture against Bournemouth on the 24th. And if things go badly for Liverpool in his absence, the season could look very different by then.
For a player who built a legacy brick by brick, goal by goal, trophy by trophy – this is the beginning of the emotional goodbye.
Maybe not his last match.
But the moment supporters begin to realize they must learn to live without him.
Mohamed Salah hasn’t just played for Liverpool.
He became Liverpool. And now, for the first time in years, the club must imagine what comes next.