The Real Reason Mo Salah Has Decided to Leave Liverpool Revealed by Close Friend

Mohamed Salah’s close friend and former teammate has revealed the real reason why he has decided to leave Liverpoolafter the Reds were thrashed 4-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon. The Egyptian King announced he would be leaving Anfield during the international break.

At the time of writing, the 33-year-old has scored 255 goals and produced 119 assists in 436 appearances for the club, making him one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s illustrious history. His trophy cabinet during his nine-year Merseyside stay includes two Premier League titles, a Champions League, a League Cup, an FA Cup, and a glut of individual honours, including a record four Premier League Player of the Season awards.

His decline this season has been unforeseen, however, and it would seem to be the right time to bid farewell to the legendary winger. But while it initially appeared that Salah was leaving on his own terms, Egypt icon Mohamed Aboutrika has revealed some hard truths about why he is really leaving this summer, as interest from Saudi clubs heats up.

Salah’s Former Teammate Makes Bombshell Claim About His Exit

Egyptian journalist Ismael Mahmoud revealed on X that Aboutrika had a conversation with Salah after he announced his departure at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, where the two allegedly spoke about the fact Arne Slot was the main reason behind his exit. According to his social media post, his compatriot revealed (see the full post below):

“One of the reasons behind Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool is the presence of Arne Slot, because we’ve seen issues in the recent period… You, Slot, pushed the man away. Salah only had a two-year contract with Liverpool…

“Salah wants to work with peace of mind and enjoy the next phase of his career. Salah doesn’t need any validation from Slot or anyone else.”

Salah’s strained relationship with Slot was laid bare when he accused his manager of ‘throwing him under the bus’ in a shocking assessment of the Dutchman’s decision to drop him for three consecutive games at the start of December last year. It doesn’t appear the bridge between the two has been fully rebuilt following that nuclear interview.

Arne Slot Could Join Salah in Liverpool’s Departures Lounge

Last summer, Liverpool oversaw a large-scale turnover of 14 players in the transfer window. With Salah already confirmed to be leaving, Ibrahima Konate yet to sign a new contract, and Jeremy Jacquet putting pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement to join the club, this year looks set for a similarly busy period.

The irony of Salah’s reason for leaving the club because of Arne Slot, however, lies in the fact that the former Feyenoord head coach’s position in the Anfield dugout is surely under review. The Reds have only recorded one victory across their previous four fixtures, and that appears to be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of issues on the red half of Merseyside right now.