Why Mo Salah Is Parting Ways With Liverpool

The day football fans always knew was coming has finally arrived — and yet, when it did, it still stung.

On March 24, 2026, Liverpool Football Club officially confirmed that Mohamed Salah will leave Anfield at the end of the 2025-26 season, closing the book on one of the most important eras in modern Liverpool history.

For nine extraordinary years, the Egyptian King ruled the right flank of Merseyside.

Signed from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, the No. 11 established himself as one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history, helping the club to two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, two League Cups, and an FA Community Shield.

His 255 goals in 435 appearances put him third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list, behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, while he ranks fourth among the all-time Premier League top scorers with 191 goals.

But all good things must end. So what exactly went wrong?

A Contract That Didn’t Last

What makes this departure particularly surprising is the timing.

Salah had signed a new Liverpool contract in April 2025, with the club presenting it as a major sign of continuity under manager Arne Slot.

Salah himself said he signed because he believed the team could keep winning trophies.

Yet barely a year later, that same deal has been cut short by mutual agreement.

Salah’s contract, which he signed only last April, will be cut short by a year after a difficult season for the 33-year-old, which has seen him dropped and publicly fall out with head coach Arne Slot.

The Fallout With Arne Slot

The cracks became very public in December 2025.

Salah accused the club of “throwing him under the bus,” suggested he had been scapegoated, and hinted that he might not have long left at Anfield.

Related: Salah’s Bombshell: Liverpool Legend Says He’s Been “Thrown Under the Bus”

The tension between the Egyptian forward and the Dutch manager never fully healed.

After winning the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions, Salah has managed only 10 goals in 34 appearances this season.

There were even growing conversations about whether teenage starlet Rio Ngumoha should replace him in Liverpool’s starting XI, a humbling situation for a player of his stature.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are fifth in the Premier League table and barely clinging onto Champions League qualification — a far cry from the dominant side that lifted the league title just a season ago.

The Farewell

True to his character, Salah chose to address the public directly and with dignity.

In a heartfelt video posted on social media, he said: “I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people, would become part of my life.”

“Liverpool is not just a football club. It is a passion, a history, a spirit that I can’t explain in words to anyone not part of this club.”

Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to supporters at the earliest possible opportunity, citing transparency, respect, and gratitude as his reasons for going public when he did.

What’s Next?

As of now, no new club has been announced.

Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas, said: “We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no one else knows.”

However, the trail points strongly toward Saudi Arabia.

Salah himself admitted in May 2025 that talks with Saudi Pro League officials had been “serious,” adding that the move likely would have happened if he had not renewed with Liverpool.

Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal have both been named as clubs that have previously attempted to sign him, and Saudi Pro League officials have publicly confirmed their interest.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Salah will leave Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer, despite having a contract valid until June 2027.

End of an Era

Whatever happens next, nothing can diminish what Salah gave to Liverpool — and to world football.

He arrived as an exciting signing and left as a legend. He redefined what a wide forward could be: tireless, clinical, consistent to a degree that bordered on supernatural.

The tears from fans at Anfield, the tributes flooding social media from across the globe, the testimonials from teammates and opponents alike — they all say the same thing.

Mo Salah wasn’t just Liverpool’s best player. For a long stretch of time, he was the best player on the planet.

The King is leaving. But his legacy at Anfield is eternal.